Great Britain – British fish cakes
Unlike the Yorkshire fishcake, which is two slices of steamed potato sandwiching a filet of fish, battered and deep-fried, the classic British fish cake is a rustic creation, often using up leftover fish and mashed potato that hasn’t gone into “bubble and squeak.” The Guardian’s Felicity Cloake recently went in search of the perfect British fish cake, finding it in a version that uses cod or haddock, sometimes smoked haddock, or a more luxurious version, which uses salmon.
“Fishcakes are the perfect example of a marriage of convenience which has become far more than the sum of its leftover parts,” Cloake said. “They exude a solid charm which belies their eminently thrifty origins.”
British fish cakes (Serves 2–3)
Ingredients
- 400g floury potatoes, eg Maris Pipers
- 250g fish: a mix of salmon, firm white fish and smoked haddock
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- 1 tbsp capers
- 2 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely chopped
- 1 egg, beaten
- 40g flour, for coating
- 50g fresh white breadcrumbs
- A generous knob of butter
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Method
- Peel the potatoes and cut into evenly sized chunks. Put into a large pan and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat slightly and simmer until tender, but not mushy. Drain and put back into the hot pan for a minute to dry off, then roughly crush them with a fork, so they're a mixture of mash and larger lumps.
- Meanwhile, put the fish into a large pan and just cover with water. Bring to a simmer, then gently cook for 3–5 minutes, depending on the size of the fillets, until the skin, if any, pulls off easily, and it's just beginning to flake. Drain, skin if necessary and set aside to cool, then break into large flakes and add to the potatoes.
- Stir in the chives, capers and anchovies. Season lightly, and mix together gently, adding a little of the beaten egg to bring the mixture together into patties – it shouldn't be too sloppy. Use your hands to form into four large cakes or six smaller ones.
- Put the remaining egg in a shallow bowl, and tip the flour and breadcrumbs on to separate saucers. Dip each fishcake in turn into the flour, the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs until thoroughly coated. Put into the fridge for at least half an hour to firm up.
- Heat a frying pan with the butter and oil until the butter begins to foam. Add the fishcakes, in batches if necessary, cook for 5 minutes on a medium-high heat until golden and well crusted, then turn them carefully over and repeat on the other side.
