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1
Clean the fish (scaled, eviscerated and washed), pat dry with paper towel.
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2
Roast in the oven (375u00b0F) on a rack until quite dry. Leave to cool.
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3
Remove bones and any hard bits. Blend with trout and salt in a food processor until the mixture is that of breadcrumbs. Pulse until the mixture has just the right texture. Too fine, and it will not cluster when it fries; too coarse, and it will harden too much.
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4
Bring plenty of oil in a wok to medium-high temperature. The right temperature is important. Try a first batch and adjust the heat if necessary. Too hot, the fish will burn; too cool and the collagen in the fish will not cook fast enough to hold the fish together.
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5
Deep-fry a handful at a time. After the foaming stops, mold the fish together by pushing the fish crumbs towards each other. Let the collagen do the work and you will see that it forms a cluster, a fish cake. When it smells cooked, flip over until golden in color. Remove and drain. Give the oil some time to reheat and repeat this process.
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6
For the dressing, combine the lime juice, chiles, fish sauce, and sugar.
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7
Peel the mango and shred finely. Combine the shallots, mango, peanuts, mint, and coriander. Add the fish cake and large chiles when using. Pour over the dressing and serve immediately.
