New England Fish Cakes With Herbed Tartar Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Stir together tartar sauce, 2 tablespoons green onions, 2 teaspoons thyme, and capers in small bowl.
• Place white bread in food processor; using on/off turns, process until very coarse crumbs form. Transfer breadcrumbs to large bowl. Using on/off turns, finely chop celery; add to bowl with breadcrumbs. Using on/off turns, coarsely puree fish; add to bowl. Add remaining 1/2 cup chopped green onions, 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, egg, salt, and ground black pepper to bowl. Mix gently but thoroughly. Transfer fish mixture to work surface and shape into four 1/2-inch-thick cakes.
• Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add fish cakes and cook until brown on bottom, about 5 minutes. Using large spatula, carefully turn fish cakes over and cook until second sides are brown and centers are opaque, about 5 minutes longer. Divide fish cakes among 4 plates and garnish with tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

Steps:

• Make the tartare sauce: mix all the ingredients together and chill (you won't need it all; leftovers keep for 3-4 days, covered, in the fridge and enliven any seafood dish).
• Preheat the oven to 150C/gas 2/fan 130C. Spread the crumbs over a baking sheet and dry in the oven for 10-15 minutes until pale golden, stirring halfway.
• At the same time, hard-boil one of the eggs. Cut the potatoes into chunks. Cook in boiling salted water for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain well and mash with a fork.
• While the egg and potatoes are cooking, put the fish in a frying pan with just enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes until just cooked. Remove the fish with a palette knife and put on a plate. When it is cool enough to handle, carefully remove the skin and any bones. Flake the fish.
• Shell the egg and chop it. Carefully mix with the potato, fish, lemon zest, parsley, ½ tsp salt and a some black pepper. With floured hands, shape into 4 round cakes.
• Coat each cake in the egg, then the dried breadcrumbs. Reshape if necessary.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the cakes over a medium heat for 5 minutes on each side, turning once, until golden on both sides. Serve with the tartare sauce.

Steps:

• Coarsely grate potatoes & squeeze out all excess moisture. Coarsely grate onion. Add half the onion to the potatoes & reserve the other half for the sauce.
• Chop fish fillets roughly, place in a food proc w/some freshly ground black pepper & whizz to a smooth paste.
• Combine fish paste w/the potato/onion mixture & add salt as desired, remembering the smoked fish provides a salt component. Shape mixture into 8 rd cakes & set aside.
• Wash out the food proc & make the sauce by blending your chosen herbs till finely chopped (See note below Re Herb Mix).
• Add remaining sauce ingredients + reserved grated onion & pulse to a slightly chunky puree - not smooth as it should have some texture. Taste sauce, add salt & pepper as desired, transfer to a bowl & set aside.
• Dust fish cakes lightly w/flour. Heat oil to a depth of 1/2-inch & fry cakes (in 2 batches as needed) for about 3 min on ea side over med-heat. Drain on paper towels & reheat oil to cook 2nd batch. Serve fish cakes w/sauce & a fresh tomato salad.
• RE HERB MIX: (Quoted from recipe) "Choose from parsley, chives, chervil, dill, marjoram, sorrel, coriander, basil, tarragon, borage, lovage, rocket or baby spinach. Use the more pungent herbs sparingly.".
• NOTE (Added 4/3/08) ~ When I made this dish, I unexpectedly found myself w/o smoked fish to use -- so I subbed Icelandic baby shrimp & it worked very well. If you make the recipe using this sub, I advise adding 1 tsp (or more as desired) of Old Bay Seasoning to the fish cake mixture.

Steps:

• Season fillets well with salt and pepper. Place on the rack of a steamer over boiling water. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. Remove rack and fish and let fillets cool.
• Peel potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Cover with cold water in a saucepan. Add sliced onions, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Drain potatoes well and mash them coarsely.
• When fish is cool enough to handle, flake it with a fork.
• Place potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and grated onion. Blend very well and add fish, folding it in lightly without overmixing. Put mixture in a baking dish and chill in refrigerator.
• When mixture is thoroughly cool, shape it into 12 hamburger-size patties. Put flour in a shallow dish and dredge fish cakes in it. Shake off excess flour.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet. Fry patties for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately. Use remaining 2 tablespoons oil if necessary. Serve with tartar sauce (see recipe).