Cod Cake Recipe

Cod Cake Recipe Photo credit: Craig Lee for The New York Times

The Privilege of Wild Food featured this recipe in 2016. I found it in The NY Times Cooking Section, Cod Cakes by New York Times Food Editor and saltwater enthusiast Sam Sifton.

You’ll want to read the reviews in the original recipe. There are some very helpful suggestions on how to get the cakes to hold together tighter like making sure to leave time for chilling. From the reviews, the more time you allow the mixture to chill the better they will hold together. Like anything else these things take time because you can’t force perfection, nor can you rush it.

I haven’t tried this cod cake recipe yet but it had over 2,000 five-star reviews so I’m guessing that it must be pretty good. It looks delicious and sounds fabulous. I have to admit, one of the first things I do when I look at a new recipe is to look at the ingredients. If they don’t call for an outlandish $35.00 spice that I’ve never heard of then I’ll consider giving them a try. This one looks pretty straightforward and not overly complicated. I’ll be using store-bought mayonnaise vs. making my own since you only use a little. In the spice section, I will be using the Old Bay Seasoning or the Lawry’s Seasoned Salt because I don’t like hot and spicy like red pepper flakes so they’re out.

I’m planning on picking up some cod fillets and giving this recipe a try this week. It’s supposed to be pretty stormy here on Cape Cod so what better way to spend some time than in the kitchen eating seafood?

Time to Prepare:

1 hour plus chilling time. Serves 4 – 6 people. 4 people if it’s the main course and 6 if it’s served as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

• 4 peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lemon, cut into eighths
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pound cod fillets, or other white flaky fish
• 2 ribs celery, trimmed, peeled, and diced
• 1 medium-size yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise, homemade or store-bought
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning, Lawry’s Seasoned Salt or 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1 ‘‘sleeve’’ unsalted saltine crackers, crushed, or 1 heaping cup panko bread crumbs
• ½ bunch parsley, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup neutral oil, like canola

How to prepare:

1. Fill a shallow, wide pan with high sides with about an inch of water, and set it over high heat. Add the peppercorns, bay leaf, and 1 section of the lemon to the water, and allow it to come to a bare simmer. Place the fish into this poaching liquid, and cook, barely simmering, until the flesh has just begun to whiten all the way through, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Using a wide spatula, carefully remove the fish from the water, and set it aside to cool.
2. Empty the pan, and return it to the stove, over medium-high heat. Add the butter, and allow it to melt, swirling it around the pan. When the butter foams, add the celery, onions, and garlic, and sauté, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and the onions turn translucent, then transfer them to a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, eggs, salt, pepper, and seasoning salt (or paprika and hot-pepper flakes), then add this mixture to the bowl with the sautéed vegetables, pour the crushed saltines or bread crumbs over them and stir to combine. Add the parsley, and stir again.
4. Flake the cooked fish into the binding sauce carefully, keeping the flakes as whole as you can manage, then gather them into small balls, and form them into patties, 4-6 for the main course, 6-8 for an appetizer. Place them on a sheet pan or platter, cover loosely with plastic wrap and transfer them to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set.
5. Set a large sauté pan over high heat, and add to it the neutral oil. When the oil is shimmering, remove the fish cakes from the refrigerator, and carefully sauté the patties until they are golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes per side. Work in batches if necessary. (A small smear of mayonnaise on the exterior of the patties will give them a crisp crust.) Serve them alone, or with greens dressed in a lemony vinaigrette, with the remaining wedges of lemon.

I’ll let you know how mine come out. Try our other favorite fish recipes and until next time,

Tight Lines and Smooth Seas