A Superior Fishcake

He said it must be Friday, the day he could not sell anything except servings of a fish known in Castile as pollock or in Andalusia as salt cod. 

-- Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, 1605-1616

Fishcakes are a seasonal treat in Bermuda, and ubiquitous on Good Friday.  Oh sure, the Food Festival highlighted them this year, and a few restaurants offer a fishcake on their menus.  But they are a nutritional and satisfying treat to make yourself in the cooler months - well, unless you are on one of the trendy diets.   

I have a long history with fishcakes.  They were a Saturday lunch staple in our family home - a byproduct of the 'Fish on Friday' supper.  This 'familiarity breeds contempt' experience once led me to shun them but I gradually returned to the fold and now consider myself a bit of a fishcake purist.

My rules:

1. They must contain salt cod - this means Canadian cod.  There are a lot of salted fish imitators out there - haddock from New England, the Malaysian 'Made for Bermuda' brand, and god knows what in the Chinese stuff.  I get my package emblazoned with the Maple Leaf at Lindo's.
2. Red-skinned potatoes in approximately equal proportion to the codfish.  Avoid baking potatoes as you need a sticky texture that only red potatoes will yield. If you must substitute a drier potato, you will need to add an egg yolk for binding.
3. Diced onion must be present. 
4. A crispy golden crust on both sides.  See instructions below.
5. Simple seasoning like thyme and parsley - no curry, turmeric, hot peppers or other spices used to mimic a Caribbean dish.

In Bermuda, fishcakes are traditionally presented on sweet 'hot cross' rolls and doused liberally with tartar sauce or mayonnaise.  Annually, I sniff that this is a device designed to mask the presence of inferior fishcakes.  And if you are watching your carbs, you can probably do without the bun or condiments. 

Here are a few tips to produce a superior fishcake like my own ;-)


Prep:

• Soak the salt fish in fresh water for at least 12 - 24 hours, changing the water at least twice and depending on how much saltiness you prefer.  (For all you Food Network fans:  A milk soak tends to soften the fish too much for fishcakes.)  Use enough of our pure Bermuda water to float the dry fish.
• Boil peeled potatoes until just fork tender and drain them well.  Then simmer your fish until it is no longer translucent and drain also.  Mash or mix together by hand just until you have identifiable lumps - don't whip to a puree in your processor.
• Sweat your diced onion.  Fresh Bermuda onions are a Spring treat and can be included raw, but common yellow onions are my norm.  Red onion might be too peppery or assertive but use it if you really like onion.  Vegetable oil and/or butter in the pan - you may want to pump up the flavour by sauteing in bacon fat if you are throwing all dietary caution out the window. 
• Add the diced onion to the fish and potato mixture.  Add seasonings of your choice like chopped fresh parsley, thyme, black pepper and (if you are an eastern Canadian who receives care packages) dried savoury.  Mix together, pat down and chill covered for at least a couple of hours and up to 2 days.

Cooking:

• Preheat a cast iron or Teflon skillet to medium.  Or use a griddle if you have one.
• Hand form patties with the chilled mixture.  Measure with a cookie/ice cream scoop or spoon for consistency.  I like mine on the small side and not too thick in order to pump up the ratio of crispy crust and moist interior.
• Dunk your cakes in seasoned flour to which you have added a little cornstarch.
• Add a mixture of butter and vegetable oil to the pan - enough to cover it well but not so much that you are now deep frying.  If you have a jar of duck fat that you've been wondering how to use - now is the time.  Add a spoonful to the pan.
• Saute the fishcakes in batches - patiently - until a golden crust forms.  Turnover the cakes and repeat. If your heat is too high, you will get nasty burnt flour on your crust.  You may need to add more oil/butter/fat for the second side or subsequent batches.  Overcrowding your pan will cause inconsistent cooking.
• Serve with a wedge of lemon. Sample and gloat.

Here's a link to the motherland of fishcakes courtesy of Newfoundland Rock Recipes.

For a deep dive into the star of the dish, I highly recommend that you download or order a copy of Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky.  This historical tale is  eloquently written and beautifully illustrated. It's where I lifted the Don Quixote quote above.

More locally, here's an elegant presentation of fishcakes from Island Thyme, a cookbook published by The Bermuda Junior Service League in 2005.  Fit for the Governor...

Credit: Island Thyme: Tastes and Traditions of Bermuda.  The Bermuda Junior Service League, 2005

If you like my post, please feel free to share on the social media of your choice.  A few links are provided below...