Introduction
Fishcakes are patties of flaked white fish and mashed potato, coated in breadcrumbs and fried until crisp. A pack of frozen pollock or coley and a few potatoes make eight of them, enough for four people with peas or a salad. They can be shaped a day ahead, and they freeze well before frying.
The British fishcake started as a way to use up leftovers: Isabella Beeton’s Book of Household Management (1861) makes them from “leftover fish” and “cold potatoes”. Germany has its own Fischfrikadellen, and Thailand makes a spicier kind without potato. The mash must be dry and the mixture cold, or the cakes fall apart in the pan.
Ingredients
- 600 g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 400 g white fish fillets (pollock, coley, haddock or cod), fresh or thawed
- 300 ml milk
- 3 spring onions, finely sliced
- a handful of parsley, chopped
- grated zest of 1 lemon, and lemon wedges to serve
- 2 eggs
- 50 g plain flour
- 100 g dried breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons sunflower oil, for frying
- salt and black pepper
Tools
- A saucepan for the potatoes, and a wide pan for the fish
- A potato masher
- A mixing bowl
- A large non-stick frying pan
Preparation
- Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Drain them well, let them steam dry in the pan for 2 minutes, then mash them without butter or milk.
- Put the fish in a wide pan, cover it with the milk and simmer gently for 5 to 8 minutes, until it flakes. Lift it out, let it cool a little and flake it, picking out any bones and skin.
- Mix the potatoes, fish, spring onions, parsley, lemon zest and 1 egg, and season well. Fold gently so the fish stays in flakes.
- Shape the mixture into 8 cakes about 2 cm thick and chill them for at least 30 minutes, until firm. Warm cakes break up in the pan.
- Put the flour, the other egg (beaten) and the breadcrumbs in three plates. Coat each cake in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.
- Heat the oil in the frying pan over a medium heat and fry the cakes in two batches for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden and hot in the middle. Serve with lemon wedges.