Haddock And Parsley Fish Cakes Food

ULTIMATE FISH CAKES

Steps:

• Mix together 125ml mayonnaise, 1 rounded tbsp roughly chopped capers, 1 rounded tsp creamed horseradish, 1 rounded tsp Dijon mustard, 1 small very finley chopped shallot and 1 tsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley. Set aside.
• Lay 450g skinned Icelandic cod or haddock fillet and 2 bay leaves in a frying pan. Pour over 150ml milk and 150ml water.
• Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 4 mins. Take off the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 mins to gently finish cooking the fish.
• Meanwhile, peel and chop 350g Maris Piper potatoes into even-sized chunks. Put them in a saucepan and just cover with boiling water. Add a pinch of salt, bring back to the boil and simmer for 10 mins or until tender, but not broken up.
• Lift the fish out of the milk with a slotted spoon and put on a plate to cool. Drain the potatoes in a colander and leave for a min or two.
• Tip the potatoes back into the hot pan on the lowest heat you can and let them dry out for 1 min, mashing them with a fork and stirring so they don't stick. You should have a light, dry fluffy mash.
• Take off the heat and beat in 1 rounded tbsp of the sauce, then ½ tsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley and 1 tbsp snipped chives.
• Season well with salt and pepper. The potato should have a good flavour, so taste and adjust to suit.
• Drain off liquid from the fish, grind some pepper over it, then flake it into big chunks into the pan of potatoes.
• Using your hands, gently lift the fish and potatoes together so they just mix. You'll only need a couple of turns, or the fish will break up too much. Put to one side and cool.
• Beat 1 egg on a large plate and lightly flour a board. Spread 85g fresh white breadcrumbs on a baking sheet. Divide the fish cake mixture into four.
• On the floured board, and with floured hands, carefully shape into four cakes, about 2.5cm thick. One by one, sit each cake in the egg, and brush over the top and sides so it is completely coated.
• Sit the cakes on the crumbs, patting the crumbs on the sides and tops so they are lightly covered. Transfer to a plate, cover and chill for 30 mins (or up to a day ahead).
• Heat 3-4 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil in a large frying pan. To test when ready, drop a piece of the dry breadcrumbs in - if it sizzles and quickly turns golden brown, it is ready to use.
• Fry the fish cakes over a medium heat for about 5 mins on each side or until crisp and golden. Serve with the rest of the sauce (squeeze in a little lemon to taste), lemon wedges for squeezing over and watercress.

HADDOCK AND PARSLEY FISH CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain.
• Put all the fish in a large pan with the milk. Cover, heat until just simmering, then poach for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving the milk. Skin and flake the fish, and remove any bones.
• Mash the potatoes with 2 tbsp of the reserved milk. Mix with the fish and half the lemon zest, parsley, spring onions and capers. Season with pepper and leave to cool.
• Shape into 8 cakes about 2 cm thick. Put on a plate lined with clingfilm and chill for 20-25 minutes.
• Beat the egg with the melted butter and put in a shallow dish. Put the breadcrumbs and the flour into two separate shallow dishes. Dip the fish cakes on all sides in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Put on a baking tray and spritz lightly with spray oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
• Mix the mayonnaise and yoghurt with the tomatoes and remaining zest, spring onions, parsley and capers.
• Put the spinach in a large frying pan with 1tbsp water and cook, stirring, until it wilts. Drain, then serve with the fish cakes and sauce.

NOVA SCOTIA FISH CAKES

Steps:

• Put the fish and milk in a medium saucepan. Refrigerate at least an hour.
• Peel the potatoes and put in a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Drain thoroughly, mash and season well with salt and pepper.
• In a small skillet, melt butter, add scallions and cook until soft, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove the fish from the refrigerator and place over medium-low heat. Bring the milk to a simmer and cook the fish until flaky, 5 to 7 minutes; do not overcook. Remove from heat, drain off the milk and allow to cool. Using a fork, break the fish into large flakes.
• Lightly beat one of the eggs and stir into the cooled potato mixture with the scallions and Worcestershire sauce. Add the flaked fish and 1 tablespoon of the parsley and gently fold into the mixture. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
• Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Form patties about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick for entree portions, or 2 inches in diameter for appetizer portions.
• Beat the remaining 2 eggs in a small bowl and put the bread crumbs in another. Dip the patties first in the beaten egg and then the bread crumbs. Heat about 1/8 of an inch of oil in a frying pan, adding more as needed. Fry the patties for just a few minutes on each side until golden. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Serve warm with lemon, tartar sauce, chutney or chowchow.

SMOKED HADDOCK & CHEDDAR FISHCAKES WITH WATERCRESS SAUCE

Steps:

• Put the potatoes, bay leaf, peppercorns and parsley stalks in a big pan of cold water. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil and cook for 15 mins until tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a colander and leave to steam-dry. Turn the heat down, add the fish and poach gently for 5 mins until it flakes easily. Tip the potatoes into a big bowl and put the fish in the colander to drain for a few mins.
• Add the cheese, some pepper and a little salt to the potatoes and mash well. Flake in about half the fish, discarding the skin and bones, and mash in too. Flake in the remaining fish in big chunks, scatter over the sliced spring onions and gently mix together. Roll the mixture into golf-ball-sized cakes.
• Tip the flour onto a plate and season. Tip the egg and breadcrumbs into 2 shallow bowls each. Roll each fishcake first in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Sit on some parchment-lined trays that fit in your fridge. Chill for at least 1 hr or up to 24 hrs.
• Fill a deep frying pan with 1-2cm of sunflower oil, heat until shimmering, then brown a few fishcakes at a time, turning regularly. If the oil gets too crumby, change halfway through. You can serve them straight away, or cool and chill for up to 24 hrs in the fridge, then simply warm for 30 mins in an oven at 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 before the party.
• Make the dipping sauce up to 1 hr before serving - put the roughly chopped spring onions, the parsley leaves, watercress, rapeseed oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 5 tbsp water in a food processor or blender. Whizz to the consistency of single cream.
• Pile the warm fishcakes onto a platter with a bowl of watercress sauce on the side and some lemon wedges for squeezing over, if you like.

MORNAY MELTING-MIDDLE FISHCAKES

Steps:

• First, make the mornay sauce at least a few hours before making the fishcakes. Put the flour and butter in a small pan over a low-medium heat and cook until the butter is melted, then stir to make a paste. Slowly whisk in the milk until you have a smooth sauce. Continue cooking until thickened, about 5 mins, then remove from the heat and stir in the cheese and mustard. Season. Oil a few small pieces of baking parchment, then use to line four holes of a muffin tin. Alternatively, use silicone cupcake cases. Divide the sauce between the cases and freeze for at least 2 hrs.
• Put the potatoes and bay leaf in a large pan, cover with water and season with salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 mins until tender. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon, put in a colander and leave to steam-dry.
• Add all the fish to the water in the pan, reduce the heat to low and poach for 5 mins. The fish is cooked when it just starts to flake apart. Carefully transfer the fish to a board with a slotted spoon, and leave to cool for 5 mins.
• Flake the fish, discarding any skin and bones. Tip the potatoes into a clean pan, season well and grate over some nutmeg. Mash until smooth, then fold through the fish, parsley and lemon zest. Leave to cool.
• Divide the fishcake mixture into four portions. Working with one portion at a time, mould into a ball. Make a well in the centre, and push one of the frozen mornay sauce discs into it. Shape the fishcake around the sauce middle so you have a smooth hockey-puck shape. Repeat with the remaining portions and sauce, then freeze the fishcakes for at least 15 mins.
• Put the flour in a shallow bowl, the egg in a second, and the fresh breadcrumbs in a third. Season the egg. Coat the fishcakes well in the flour, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. If you have any egg or breadcrumbs left at the end, keep dipping and coating until everything is used up. Freeze the fishcakes until firm, about 1 hr. Will keep frozen for up to one month. Defrost in the fridge for 2 hrs before cooking.
• Fill a large, deep pan no more than two-thirds full with oil, and heat it to 180C. Or, use a deep-fat fryer. Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Deep-fry the fishcakes for 7 mins, turning halfway, until crisp. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper, then transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 5 mins (or 15 mins from frozen) until the middles are hot. Serve with salad and lemon wedges.