Crispy Fish Cakes
Something that can’t be categorized as dessert! Huzzah! (Is it just me who feels as if everything she has eaten in the recent past started out as batter?)
But wait, it is technically cake again.
I taught a class in Red Deer last night, so the boys came up with dinner on their own. (I didn’t ask.) Tonight, fish cakes. My Mom had a chunk of leftover sea bass (yes I know, but it was already cooked, so it would have been worse not to eat it) from a dinner party, and my favourite use of scraps of leftover fish is fish cakes. (Canned salmon works very well too. I haven’t tried sardines yet, but if you’re a fan – why not?) Really all you do is mix the flaked fish with about an equal amount of mashed potatoes (yes you have to mash the potatoes, but come on, it’s easy. You don’t have to worry about getting them all smooth, because you’re stirring fish and stuff into them anyway) and all manner of accessorizing ingredients if you’re so inclined – usually I’ll add some finely chopped green onion, or parsley, chives, red pepper, a bit of mustard… but I had none, and once again this bare cupboard has opened my eyes to something I may not have otherwise tried.
Plain Old Fish Cakes. Nothing but fish, potato, salt and pepper. Once in awhile I am reminded of the pleasure of plain, unadorned food. It doesn’t always need to be jazzed up, spiced and garnished, Thai-inspired or spicy. The simplest of fish cakes allowed us to taste the actual fish and potato (and even oil), rather than serve merely as a vehicle for my culinary whims. Shape the mixture into patties and douse them in a shallow dish of flour, then of beaten egg, then of bread crumbs or Panko (extra-crispy Japanese breadcrumbs) and cook them up in a skillet with a skiff of canola or olive oil. These were so tasty. W even devoured them, which I wasn’t expecting at all. Served with peas, of course.
(Tomorrow I am so ditching this whole no-shop thing and sending Mike for one of those tubs of mixed greens. Come to mama…)
One Year Ago: Roasted Red Pepper and Ricotta Cannelloni
March 18 2009 | fish and vegetarian | 12 Comments »
