This recipe is near and dear to our heart. When we were growing up, our mom ran a restaurant right next to our house. This was one of her specialties, and so it was on a regular rotation when she had extras that needed to be used up; however, they do freeze really well! Nearly everyone from Newfoundland has a recipe for salt cod fish cakes, so this is mainly for the out-of-towners. (full recipe below!)
They are simple to make, but do require a bit of planning. You have to remember to soak the fish ahead of time…
Then mash it all together with the potato
Then you get to play with your food, mashing them into patties, and fryin’ em up nice and golden…
And enjoy!!!
Salt Cod Fish Cakes
Just like mum's but minus the traditional "scrunchions" (salt pork fat) so you can eat them more often!! If you can't get salt cod in your area, try another salted or corned white fish
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried salt cod (get the boned one)
- 4 large russet potatoes peeled & roughly chopped
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped or pureed
- 1 pinch pepper - NO SALT NEEDED!!
- 1 tbsp each olive oil & butter for frying
Instructions
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Soak salt cod overnight or for 8 hours. Prep your veg during this time.
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Drain the fish and add fresh water, then boil for 10 minutes.
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In a separate pot, boil your potatoes until fork tender (about 20 minutes), drain and mash.
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Add the onion and the fish, season with pepper, and stir all together, being sure to flake your fish well.
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Once cooled to the touch, form 1/4 thick patties with your hands, using roughly 1/4 cup mixture per patty. You should get 16-18 patties.
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Heat your butter and oil in a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium heat (for more crispy edges and more even browning, go with the cast iron - just beware you may need more oil).
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Fry the fishcakes in batches for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Serve warm with mustard pickles and salad greens on the side for a nice little lunch 🙂
