A taste of home with these Fresh Cod Fish Cakes. A potato and cod based fish cake dredged in flour and crispy fried to perfection. These are a great make ahead dinner that you can pop in the fridge and cook just before serving.
Originally published on June 10th, 2015. Updated on May 9th, 2023 to include new photos, recipe tips, frequently asked questions and more relevant information.
What are these Cod Cakes Like
- Difficulty – These fish cakes are pretty easy to make. Just pay attention when forming the patties so they are packed together. If not, they may start to crumble when you fry them.
- Taste – These fish cakes do not have an overpowering fish taste at all. The fish has a light and subtle flavour. They are creamy on the inside and have a crisp exterior.
- Serving – This recipe will serve four people. The amount of fish cakes you get will depend on what size you decided to make your fish cakes. This recipe makes eight good sized fish cakes.
And if you love Fresh Cod, check out my Cod Fish & Veggie Parcels!
Ingredients
- Cod fish – I used frozen cod fillets for this recipe. They are more economical then fresh fish and you can generally find them in most supermarkets.
- Potatoes – Any kind of a boiling potato will work well for this recipe. New potatoes and russet potatoes are great because they have a high starch content.
- Onions – I used a white onion for flavour and texture.
- Oregano – Dried oregano adds a nice touch to the fishcakes. It’s isn’t traditional, but it’s a great flavour.
- Fresh parsley – I liked to add fresh chopped parsley for a bit of afresh flavour.
- Salt – Just regular table salt. It help enhance the flavours.
- Black pepper – I used black cracked pepper.
- Flour – Regular all purpose flour is used to dredge the fish cakes before frying. This helps give them a crisp exterior.
- Vegetable oil – I used sunflower oil to fry the fishcakes. You can use any kind of vegetable oil.
NOTE, The full recipe with instructions and ingredient list can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Instructions
Recipe Tips
- Cooking times – It’s a good idea to cook the potatoes and the fish at the same time. This will save on overall time.
- Form patties well – Make sure to pack the fish cakes together well, otherwise they may fall apart when you fry them.
- Make ahead – You can make the fish cakes ahead of time and wrap them in plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to cook them. Don’t dredge them in flour until just before cooking.
- Be vigilant when frying – The oil will get very hot while pan frying these fish cakes. Be sure not to burn the exterior of the fish cake. Lower the heat if you notice the fish cakes browning too quickly.
Substitutions
- Cod fish – I used frozen cod fish for this recipe but you could easily use fresh if you have it. But I know most people won’t have fresh fish! As well, any white fish like haddock or hake would also work for this recipe.
- Onions – I used white onion in these fish cakes, as they give quite a subtle flavour. If you prefer, you could use brown onions or even leeks. Keep in mind, if you use leeks, you should sautee them for a few minutes before adding them to the mixture.
What To Serve With The Fresh Cod Fish Cakes
These fishcakes are great just as they are or with some seamed vegetables. But here’s a few other choices you might like to take a look at . And don’t forget you can check out the salads and sides section for a whole load more of inspiration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fish cakes can be a healthy option depending on what other ingredients you add to the fish. Generally, fish is lower in fat than other animal proteins and often lower in calories as well. Baking or fan frying in little oil will also make the fish cake healthier.
Yes, in fact many fish cake recipes are made using canned fish. Common types of canned fish to use to make fish cakes are salmon and tuna.
Yes, you can easily freeze fish cakes. I recommend freezing them before you fry them. Wrap them tightly in freezer proof plastic wrap and freeze up to about one month. Allow to defrost in the fridge before dredging in flour and frying.
Fresh Cod Fish Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 lb cod filets
- 3 medium potatoes peeled and cut into small pieces
- 1 small onion finely diced
- Small handful of fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup flour for coating
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan of boiling water, add the potatoes and cook until soft. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes. When cooked, remove from heat, drain and set aside
- Meanwhile, in another medium saucepan of boiling water, add the cod fish and boil for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain the water. Leave to cool so you can handle it.
- Once the fish is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and you will notice that the fish will just flake apart. Remove any bones that you find in the fish and discard them. Take more than one look because those bones seem to hide everywhere.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the potatoes mash really well. Add the fish, onion, parsley, oregano and salt & pepper. With a wooden spoon, stir to combine. When it is all combined you can start making your fish cakes.
- You can make them whatever size you want, but these are a fairly medium size and I got 8 out of the mixture. So, scoop out as much as you like and lay in on a clean surface. Turn it into a rough ball shape and put in on the flat working surface that you are using. Flatten the top slightly and try and keep them in a circular shape. The fish cakes pictured are about 1 1/2 inches in height. Repeat these steps for remaining fish cakes.
- Next, on a clean working surface, spread out the flour. With one fish cake at a time, completely coat it in the flour and put on a clean plate. Repeat for further fish cakes.
- In a large skillet set over moderate heat, add two tablespoons of the olive oil and bring to a high heat. When you put the fish cakes in the pan you want them to instantly sizzle. Cook for about 4-5 minutes or until it is golden brown and flip over. I usually use a silicone spatula to do this, and I have more control in flipping them. Continue cooking the other side for the same amount of time, or until golden brown. Repeat for whatever fish cakes you have left. Use the remaining vegetable oil to cook the rest of the fish cakes.
- Serve immediately with your favourite side dishes.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Made this recipe as written. Just hubby and I so we had 4 for dinner with a salad and I froze 4 for the future. The taste and texture were spot on, I loved that I could prep early in the day and do a quick sauté and throw together a salad and in 20 minutes dinner is done.
That’s great to hear Sunny. We love these fish cakes and have been a¡making them for years. Happy you enjoyed them too!
Without a doubt the best and easiest way to make fish cakes! No eggs, added flour or bread crumbs necessary. This is the way I learned to make them in Newfoundland using salt cod and savoury. Fish cakes and fried eggs make a great breakfast too.
Thanks Gary! Yes, this is an adaptation of the salt cod ones that I had growing up in Newfoundland. I can’t find salt cod where I live now, so I just buy the frozen stuff. Which is okay. Happy you liked them and the fried eggs for breakfast sounds good too.