Light and crispy fish cakes

Summer is well and truly here now and these fish cakes are the perfect way to kick of the season. They’re super light and fluffy and packed with flavour thanks to all the herbs and a little tartare sauce stirred through the mix before they’re lightly fried in the pan until they’re golden and crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Serve them up with a squeeze of lemon, a garden salad and a little tartare sauce. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 450g skinned cod or haddock fillet
• 2 bay leaves
• 150ml milk
• 350g Maris Piper potatoes
• 1 tablespoon tartare sauce
• ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon snipped chives
• 1 egg
• Flour, for shaping
• 85g fresh white breadcrumbs, preferably a day or two old
• 3-4 tablespoon vegetable or sunflower oil, for shallow frying

Method

1. Put fish and bay leaves in a frying pan. Pour over milk and 150ml of water. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Take off heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

2. Peel and chop potatoes into even-sized chunks and boil in saucepan with a pinch of salt for 10 mins or until tender.

3. Lift fish out of milk with a slotted spoon and leave on a plate to cool.

4. Drain potatoes in a colander and leave to cool for a minute. Tip them back into the hot pan on the lowest heat and let them dry out for 1 minute, mashing them with a fork and stirring so they don’t stick. Take off heat and beat in tartare sauce, then add lemon zest, parsley and chives. Season well with salt and pepper.

5. Drain off liquid from fish, season with pepper, then flake into large chunks into potatoes. Using your hands, gently mix fish and potatoes together. Put to one side and cool.

6. Beat egg on a large plate and lightly flour a board. Spread the breadcrumbs on a baking sheet. Divide fish cake mixture into four. On floured board, and with floured hands, carefully shape into four cakes, about 2.5cm thick. Coat each cake in egg. Then coat with crumbs until lightly covered. Transfer to a plate, cover and chill for 30 minutes.

7. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Fry fish cakes over a medium heat for about 5 mins on each side or until crisp and golden. Serve with tartar sauce and lemon wedges for squeezing.

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