Caribbean Fish Cakes

Instructions

1. Lightly season the snapper fillets with salt. Steam the fillets in a pressure cooker or steamer for about 8 minutes with the lid on. Kill the heat halfway and let residual steam finish cooking. This keeps the fish tender without drying it out.
2. Let the cooked fish cool for a few minutes. Clean the fish by removing all bones and skin, then flake the meat into bite-sized pieces. You should have roughly 2 cups of flaked fish.
3. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic, chopped onion, scallion, fresh thyme leaves, and chopped sweet pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
4. Add the sautéed aromatics to the flaked fish. Stir in finely chopped scotch bonnet pepper (about 1 teaspoon), chopped parsley, and lime juice.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and about 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs to the fish mixture. Gently mix to combine, keeping the mixture flaky rather than over-mixing. Add another tablespoon of mayo and 0.25 cup of panko if needed to achieve proper binding.
6. Test the mixture by shaping a small ball to ensure it holds together. Adjust mayo and panko as needed.
7. Shape the fish cake mixture into balls about 2 inches in diameter using your thumb and index finger to round them out while controlling thickness.
8. Coat each shaped fish cake with panko breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the coating adheres. No egg wash is needed—the natural stickiness of the mixture will hold the coating.
9. Heat oil in a shallow pan over medium heat. Fry the fish cakes for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy on the outside.
10. While frying, prepare the dipping sauce: combine 1 cup mayonnaise with 3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (or to taste). Add 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1.5 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
11. Remove fish cakes from oil and drain on paper towels. Serve warm with the spicy lime mayo dipping sauce.