East Coast Fish Cakes
Fish cakes with salt cod are a beloved Atlantic Canadian delicacy, embodying tradition and coastal flavors.
Salt cod is soaked to reduce its salinity, then mixed with potatoes, creating a hearty and flavorful base. The mixture is enhanced with onions, herbs, and spices, forming a perfect blend of textures and tastes. These cakes are delicately fried until golden and crispy, showcasing a harmonious marriage of maritime ingredients. Whether enjoyed as a snack, appetizer, or main dish, fish cakes with salt cod pay homage to the region’s seafaring heritage and offer a nostalgic and delightful culinary experience.
If you have never worked with salt cod before it is very important to soak and rinse the fish other wise you will end up with an inedible product. Around these parts fish cakes are typically served with baked beans and green tomato chow. Here at home we are a house divided; one of us loves baked beans and the other does not, and I can not put enough emphasis on the does not part. And while one of us loves green tomato chow the other…well, you get the point. So in order to keep everyone happy we skip the beans and serve our fish cakes with our homemade mustard pickles!
A very generous thank you to Logan’s Daily Catch for sponsoring this recipe. It is an honour to work with brands that align with our values and make it possible for us to share these recipes with you.
Fish Cakes
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2-4 1x
Description
This recipe is about as traditional as it gets therefore it uses summer savory which is very easy to find on the east coast but somewhat scarce throughout the rest of Canada. The closest substitution is thyme or marjoram.
Ingredients
- 1lb salt codfish bites
- 2 lbs potatoes
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp summer savory
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tbsp butter ( more if needed)
Instructions
- Cover the salt fish with cold water and soak for 2 hours.
- Drain the fish and put into a clean pot.
- Add the potatoes and onions to the fish and cook until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain and add the summer savory, salt and pepper. Mash well.
- Allow the potatoes to cool then form into cakes.
- Dip the cakes into the beaten egg, shake off excess. Dredge the cakes in the flour shaking off the excess.
- Add butter to a frying pan, melt and fry the fishcakes until golden brown.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: fish, breakfast, entrees, recipes
I love a soft poached egg on my fish cake. 😋