Sea bass köfte with charred capsicum sauce (fish cake) recipe

Levrek, or sea bass, is hugely popular in Turkey and enjoyed all along the Aegean and Mediterranean coastlines, where it is pan-fried, salt-baked or stewed. This simple köfte recipe is one of the few fish köfte found in Turkey, as they generally tend to be meat based. The sea bass can really take on the big flavours of the dried herbs and spices. I have also added bicarbonate of soda: you might associate this more with baking, but as any good Turkish cook will tell you, this secret ingredient keeps köfte, minced kebabs and fishcakes really light and fluffy.

Difficulty easy
Cooking time less than 30 minutes
Serves serves 4

Ingredients

2 red capsicums, deseeded and cut into quarters
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
juice of ½ lemon, plus a little extra for the peppers
350g sea bass fillets, skinned and boned
a handful of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
40g breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon sumac
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Make 8 köfte.

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.

2. Put the capsicums in a mixing bowl, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and black pepper. Mix well and tip onto a baking tray. Roast for 30–35 minutes, or until the skin is charred and the capsicums are tender. Tip the capsicums into a mixing bowl, cover with cling film and leave for 10 minutes. When cooled, remove the skins and then whizz the flesh into a paste using a mini food processor.

3. Pour the pureed capsicum into a mixing bowl, add the yogurt and a tiny squeeze of lemon and mix well. Transfer to a small saucepan and keep warm over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until ready to use.

4. Meanwhile, put the fish into a food processor or blender and pulse until finely chopped. Tip into a mixing bowl and add the parsley, breadcrumbs, egg, black pepper, thyme, sumac, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt. Mix well and divide into eight equal portions. Roll each one into a ball and then flatten into a round patty just under 1cm thick.

5. Heat the remaining oil in large pan over a medium heat. Fry the köfte for 2½–3 minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through. Squeeze over the lemon juice and serve immediately with the warm capsicum sauce.