---
title: "Bushbuck Bites: Tasty Thai Butterfish Burgers"
date: "2023-05-12"
author: "Kaelah James"
category: "Bushbuck Bites"
tags: [bushbuck bites]
image: "https://images.ctfassets.net/vqzddtz845zg/3rh1ssraGPcWP9VUGV96iE/5997cde20d73f3fb9f3dd9ca0024f9a0/thumbnail_image4_06492cd5-4e3a-4cfe-9004-6ef105272c41.webp"
---

# Bushbuck Bites: Tasty Thai Butterfish Burgers

**By Kaelah James — May 12, 2023**
**Category:** Bushbuck Bites | **Tags:** bushbuck bites

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## 📖 Overview

After a successful spearfishing trip around Kapiti Island, Kaelah James decided to experiment with a creative spin on the classic fish burger by incorporating traditional Thai flavours. As the weather starts warming up, fish is going to be on the menu in a lot of households around the country. This recipe is a great way to do something different with fish and can be easily adapted by changing the spice mix or using whatever you've got in the pantry.




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## Fish Mince

Fresh is such a versatile food. You can fry it, smoke it, bake it in a pie, and squeeze lemon juice over it and eat it raw. But not many people think to mince fish.

Mincing up fresh fish is a great way to use leftovers and, in this recipe, it can be used to create delicious fish burger patties. You can grab a kitchen mincer from most homeware stores. They can cost a bit, but if you're processing plenty of wild kai like me, it's definitely a worthwhile investment. 



For this fish burger recipe, I minced up some butterfish I speared over the weekend and threw in some classic Thai flavours to give them a unique twist. To top it off, I've included pickled cucumber and a Japanese-style sesame slaw which complement the fish flavour. I just love the versatility of fish mince. You can use it for dumplings, patties, kebabs, the list goes on. Feel free to use any fish mince in this recipe.





![kaelahfish](https://images.ctfassets.net/vqzddtz845zg/24vfF7qvVHSC62nR1lcunv/fd19aad37599a30b0a6c5f045980bfa3/kaelahfish.webp)

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## Ingredients

**Fish Patties**

- 4 fish fillets, minced
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1 red chilli
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 2 spring onions, roughly chopped
- Bunch of coriander

**Pickled Cucumber**

- 1 cucumber cut into ribbons
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp chilli oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil

**To Serve**

- Toasted burger buns
- Bag of Japanese-style sesame slaw. You can usually find this, or something similar, pre-made in the salad section of your local supermarket
- Bottle of satay sauce
- Extra coriander







![pattie1](https://images.ctfassets.net/vqzddtz845zg/1qUuna81ATm4ifMR3yQRve/a1908eb3ac255f738328f823f9f11320/pattie1.jpg)

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## The Recipe

[Image: Asset reference]

**Fish Patties**

1. Place red chilli, cumin, fish sauce, salt, sugar, garlic, ginger, spring onions and coriander into a processor and pulse until blended.
2. Add mixture to minced fish with egg and mix well.
3. With wet hands, form fish mix into 4 even shaped patties.
4. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat, add patties and cook until golden brown on both sides.

**Pickled Cucumber**

1. Simply place cucumber ribbons and all other ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
2. Put into fridge until you're ready to use them.

**Japanese-style Slaw**

1. Mix the slaw with the dressing provided and it's good to go.

**Assembling the Burger**

1. Place Japanese-slaw on the base.
2. Then add the fish patty.
3. Add a generous amount of satay sauce, pickled cucumber and coriander on top.

These burgers are nice and filling so one is usually enough, especially if you're serving up a side of fries and salad. But if you've got a big appetite feel free to cook up a few more patties. They also last well in the fridge for a couple of days. Dig in and enjoy! 




[Image: Asset reference]

Make sure to let us know if you give this recipe a go and post a photo on Facebook or Instagram and tag us [@bushbucknz](https://www.instagram.com/bushbucknz/) and Kaelah [@kaelahs_wild_kai_kitchen](https://www.instagram.com/kaelahs_wild_kai_kitchen/)



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