These classic fishcakes are hard to beat, really tasty and popular with the whole family. This traditional favourite is really easy to prepare and cook. We are pairing them up with a homemade, tangy tartare sauce, that is perfect for some delicious dipping. Quantities below are for four people however its easy to scale up the quantities for more people. You can also mix and match the the fish using haddock, salmon or coley as alternatives or in combination. Just use the same total weight.
Ingredients For Classic Fishcakes Recipe
600g fresh cod fillets from Walter Purkis & Sons
300ml milk for poaching
500g potato, peeled and cut into chunks. Use a floury type such as King Edward or Maris Piper
10g butter
125ml single cream
Fresh parsley roughly chopped
Vegetable oil, for frying
3 eggs, beaten
200g plain flour
200g panko breadcrumbs
Ingredients For the tartare sauce
175ml mayonnaise
2 tbsp. capers, roughly chopped
2 tbsp. gherkins, chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped
Lemon juice, to taste
Salt and pepper to season
Cooking Method For Classic Fishcakes
Start with the sauce, roughly chopping up the parsley, capers and gherkins. Mix together with the mayonnaise, add a little lemon juice to your preference, place in the fridge to keep cool.
Place the cod and milk into a medium sized pan (so that the fish is just covered add more milk if needed) and put over a medium heat. As soon as it boils remove from the heat and leave with a lid on to cool. The fish will continue cooking. Once cooled remove from the milk. You can use the tasty cooking liquor to add extra flavour to the mash. Flake the fish into chunky pieces, removing any bones and skin.
Boil the potatoes until soft. Drain, and then mash with the milk/butter/cream as you prefer. Keep it on the drier side. Combine the flaked cod, chopped parsley and mashed potato in a large bowl, and season well with salt and pepper. Divide the fish cake mixture into four or eight equal sized pieces, depending on the size you want. Shape the fish cakes by lightly pressing the mix between your hands. The fishcakes should fit comfortably in the palm of your hand. Place on a tray covered with some greaseproof paper. Leave to chill in the fridge which will help the cakes firm up.
Place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs into three separate bowls ready for coating the fish cakes. Lightly dust each fish cake in the flour, then dip in the egg and cover in the breadcrumbs. (For an extra crispy crust repeat the last two stages – if you have plenty of crumbs)
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Lightly fry the fish cakes until golden, turning frequently.
Serve right with the tartare sauce, lemon wedges and mixed salad leaves on the side.
You can check out some other delicious fish and crab cake recipes here
This fishcake recipe and image credits are from Seafish. More recipes on the Love Seafood website.
