Name: Boulettes de sardines (sardine fishcakes)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: Serves 4 (makes 8 fishcakes)
Ingredients: 500g sardine fillets; 1 medium tomato grated (optional); 1 tbsp chopped parsley; 1 tbsp chopped coriander; 70g semolina or flour, for dusting; 100ml oil for frying; salad to serve (optional); 6 garlic cloves roughly chopped; 1 small red chilli deseeded and roughly chopped; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp paprika; ½ tsp cayenne pepper; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

500g sardine
fillets
1 medium tomato
grated (optional)
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped coriander
70g semolina
or flour, for dusting
100ml oil
for frying
salad
to serve (optional)

For the dersa (Algerian chilli paste)

6 garlic cloves
roughly chopped
1 small red chilli
deseeded and roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

step 1
Using a pestle and mortar, grind all the ingredients for the dersa to a rough paste.
step 2
Chop the sardine fillets into small chunks and tip into a large bowl. Add the tomato, if using, herbs, the dersa and ¼ tsp each
sea salt and black pepper, and mix well. The mixture will be quite wet.
step 3
Shape the mixture into small fishcakes (about 50g each) and dust generously in the semolina or flour. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat, then fry the fishcakes on both sides for around 3 mins until golden brown. Serve two or three fishcakes per person with salad, if you like.