Crab cakes and salmon patties have nothing on these delicious cod cakes. They are made with cod, potatoes eggs, and crackers. Serve with a salad of your choice.
fish cakes:
1 lb. russet potatoes
1 lb. cod fillet
1 T. spicy ketchup or Sriracha sauce
handful of minced fresh parsley
freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 lemon
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, finely crushed
2-3 T. vegetable oil, for frying
garnish with:
sliced green onion
chopped parsley
lemon wedges
tartar sauce:
1 pasteurized egg, at room temperature
1 c. vegetable oil, at room temperature
1 t. grainy Dijon mustard
freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 lemon
2 T. capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. dill pickles, chopped
1/4 t. salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Wash, peel and cut potatoes into large chunks. Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water, add 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are very soft.
Put the cod in a shallow saute pan; cover with cold water. Bring to a boil; cover, turn off the heat, and let the fish poach for about 10-15 minutes. Drain.
Drain potatoes and put them into a large mixing bowl. Mash them, leaving some chunks.
Add ketchup, parsley, lemon juice, beaten eggs, and salt and pepper. Stir just to combine, and then add the cod, breaking it apart into chunks with your fingers as you add it, checking for tiny bones as you do this.
Fold the fish into the mixture until everything is evenly incorporated. It will be fairly wet.
Scoop out the mixture and form into patties, each 1/3 cup in measure. You may need to flour your hands.
On a large plate or platter, coat each patty on all sides in the Ritz cracker crumbs. At this point, the patties can be covered and refrigerated for later cooking.
Coat the bottom of a skillet with vegetable oil; heat on medium heat until hot. (cast iron makes the best) Fry the cakes about 5 minutes on each side until golden, crispy, and hot throughout. The cakes are very delicate, so move and flip them very carefully.
Serve immediately garnished with chopped green onions, chopped parsley or lemon wedges on the side and fresh tartar sauce, if desired.
Tartar sauce:
Put all tartar ingredients in a 16 oz. mason jar with a wide mouth.
Using an immersion blender, set the head of the blender down at the bottom of the jar, and turn it on. Blend for a few seconds and as the sauce starts to thicken, slowly raise the blender up to blend all of the contents. This will only take a few seconds. you can pulse the blender a few times to continue to thicken the tartar sauce.
Remove the blender, give the sauce a stir, and taste to adjust the seasoning. Screw the cap on the jar tightly and keep refrigerated until needed. Use within 7 to 10 days.
4-6 servings