Fish Cakes

Fish Cakes

Golden, crispy fish cakes with chunky potato and big flakes of fish. The trick is garlic, chilli, and thyme sautéed in butter.

Prep: 30 mins Cook: 1h 35mins Serves: 4 Difficulty: medium
Canadian Fish-Seafood One-Pan, Appetizer

Required Spices

  • 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • red chili flakes

Other Ingredients

  • 500g white fish fillets (cod, tilapia, or barramundi)
  • 800g potatoes (Russet or similar)
  • 60g unsalted butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • ½ cup green onion, finely sliced
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 eggs, lightly whisked
  • 1¼ cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Bake potatoes at 220°C/430°F for 75 minutes until completely tender. Cut in half and scoop flesh into a large bowl. Reduce oven to 200°C/390°F.
  2. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook fish in batches for 4 minutes total, turning once, until just cooked through. Transfer to a rack to cool.
  3. In the same skillet with leftover butter, sauté garlic, chili, thyme, and green onion for 1 minute until garlic is golden. Pour over the potato, scraping out every drop of butter.
  4. Add parsley and salt to the potato. Roughly mash with a wooden spoon—keep some chunks for texture, don't make it smooth.
  5. Add fish and gently fold through, breaking into flakes. Don't overmix—you want visible chunks of fish throughout.
  6. Scoop ¼ cup portions, pack firmly, and shape into patties about 2cm thick. You should get 13-15 cakes.
  7. Set up breading station: flour, beaten eggs, and panko breadcrumbs. Coat each cake in flour, dip in egg, then press into breadcrumbs.
  8. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high. Fry fish cakes for 1½ minutes per side until golden. Transfer to a baking sheet.
  9. Bake for 10 minutes to heat through completely. Serve with tartare sauce and lemon wedges.

Tips

Baking the potatoes keeps them dry and fluffy—boiling makes them waterlogged. The butter infused with fish juices, garlic, and herbs is the secret to flavour, so scrape every drop into the potato. Make ahead: crumb the cakes, freeze between parchment paper, then thaw overnight before cooking.

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Fish Cakes Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 1h 35mins | Serves: 4 $18.97

Required Spices

Red Chile Flakes
Red Chile Flakes
Thyme
Thyme
Parsley Flakes
Parsley Flakes

Pantry Spices

Sea Salt, Fine
Sea Salt, Fine
Pepper, Black, Ground
Pepper, Black, Ground
Green Onion
Green Onion