Fish Cakes with Tartare Sauce

4.70 (14)
⏱ 40 mins 🍽 Makes 4 🌶 british ✅ Easy 🏷 Main course

This recipe transforms a modest amount of fish into a satisfying meal. Smoked haddock is combined with mashed potato, lemon zest, and parsley to create flavourful patties, which are then coated in breadcrumbs and fried until golden. They are served with a homemade tartare sauce featuring gherkins, capers, and horseradish. The dish is a comforting British classic ideal for a family lunch or a simple supper. It makes four generous fish cakes and takes about 40 minutes to prepare and cook.

Fish Cakes with Tartare Sauce

Ingredients

  • 100g white breadcrumb
  • 2 eggs
  • 450g potato peeled
  • 450g smoked haddock
  • 1 lemon grated zest
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • flour for dusting
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
  • 200g mayonnaise
  • 2small gherkins chopped
  • 2 tbsp caper roughly chopped
  • 1small shallot very finely chopped
  • 1 tsp horseradish sauce
  • 1/2 tsp dry or made mustard
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

Method

  1. Prepare the tartare sauce by combining all its listed ingredients. Place it in the refrigerator to chill. You will have some leftover sauce, which can be stored covered in the fridge for 3-4 days and used with other seafood.
  2. Set your oven to 150C/gas 2/fan 130C. Scatter the breadcrumbs onto a baking sheet and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes to dry them, stirring once, until they turn a pale golden colour.
  3. While the crumbs are drying, hard boil one egg. Chop the peeled potatoes into chunks and cook them in boiling salted water for 10-15 minutes until soft. Drain the potatoes and mash them thoroughly with a fork.
  4. As the egg and potatoes cook, place the fish in a frying pan and add just enough water to cover it. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 5 minutes until the fish is just cooked. Use a palette knife to transfer the fish to a plate. Once cool enough to handle, discard the skin and any bones, then flake the flesh.
  5. Peel and chop the hard boiled egg. Gently combine it with the mashed potato, flaked fish, lemon zest, parsley, ½ tsp salt, and some black pepper. Dust your hands with flour and shape the mixture into four round cakes.
  6. Dip each shaped cake first into the remaining beaten egg, then coat it thoroughly in the dried breadcrumbs. Reshape the cakes gently if needed.
  7. Warm the vegetable oil in a frying pan. Fry the fish cakes for 5 minutes on each side, turning once, until they are golden brown on both surfaces. Serve immediately with the prepared tartare sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Nutrition data not available.

Recipe details

Skill levelEasy
CategoryMain course
Cuisinebritish