Ingredients
- 450g/1lb old, floury potatoes such as Golden Wonder or Records
- 450/1lb fresh cod fillet
- 175g/6oz breadcrumbs, ideally made from 2-3 day old bread
- 6 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tbsp snipped fresh chives
- juice of 1 small lemon
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp milk
- oil for grilling or frying
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan-oven/Gas mark 6
Scrub the potatoes. Bake for 1 hr or until the potatoes feel tender when squeezed with an oven gloved hand. Fifteen mins before the potatoes finish cooking, season the fish with salt and pepper and wrap in a foil parcel. Bake for about 12-15mins or until the fish is opaque and flakes in the centre when tested with a knife. Remove the fish and potatoes and leave to cool.
Switch off the oven. Spread out the breadcrumbs on a baking sheet and put in the oven to dry. Give them a stir around from time to time so they dry evenly as the oven cools.
When they are cool enough to handle scoop the potatoes out of their skins with a spoon, discarding the skins. Put the rest into a bowl and mash to smooth consistency. Flake the fish, discarding all the skin and bones and add to the potato with the parsley, chives and lemon juice. Taste the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portion and shape into large fishcakes, about the width of a finger.
Have the breadcrumbs ready on a large sheet of greaseproof paper. Beat the egg with the milk in a bowl. Dip the fishcakes first in the egg, then in crumbs, pressing the crumbs on to the fishcakes and neatening the shape with a palette knife. Cover with cling film and chill until ready to cook.
The fishcakes can be brushed with oil and grilled or shallow fired in oil. Either method will take 8 mins for each side. Serve with fresh tomato sauce.
Enjoy!
