TASTE
Fillers enhance fish cakes' texture
| • | The time is ripe for lemonade |
By Donna Pierce
Chicago Tribune
Unlike crab cakes, which taste best when you limit the cracker or bread filler, these fish cakes benefit from such additions to add texture. My fish cakes also always include diced onion, green pepper and celery. Use any tender, white-meat fish.
Then I flavor the plump little cakes with other appropriate ingredients (often leftovers) from my refrigerator and pantry. Leftover mashed potatoes add a creamy texture to cakes I made recently from coarsely chopped fish fillets. These took just 12 minutes to prepare and about 8 minutes to cook.
Variation: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of the fish. Experiment with fresh herbs to vary the flavor.
SPICY FISH CAKES
Place the celery, onion and green pepper in a food processor; pulse to finely chop. Add the fillets; pulse to coarsely chop. Stir in the salt, pepper, dry mustard, red pepper flakes, thyme and seafood seasoning; pulse two to three times until mixed. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in the egg, stirring lightly until combined. Fold in the mashed potatoes. Form into 8 patties and lightly coat with bread crumbs. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the fish cakes. Cook, in batches if needed, until lightly browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn; cook until browned and cakes are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Serve with Asian chili paste or tartar sauce.
Makes 4 servings.
