Description
Luxury fishcakes with a creamy tartare velouté sauce, combining smoked cod, haddock, hake, crabmeat, and mature cheddar for a rich and flavorful seafood dish. Served with poached eggs, lemon wedges, and pea shoots, this elegant recipe perfects the balance between a crispy crust and a soft, moist interior.
Ingredients
Scale
Fishcake Mixture
- 1 large red-skin potato (about 250g)
- 250g smoked cod or haddock
- 250g hake
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp English mustard
- 500ml milk
- 1 egg yolk
- 25g butter
- Whole nutmeg, for grating
- ½ lemon, zested and juiced
- 100g mature cheddar, grated
- 100g mixed white and brown crabmeat
- 2 bunches of spring onions, finely chopped
- 100g plain flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 100g panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsp sunflower oil, for frying
Tartare Velouté Sauce
- 25g butter
- 25g plain flour
- Poaching milk (reserved from fish poaching)
- 50ml double cream
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Large handful parsley leaves, chopped
- 2 tbsp capers, chopped
To Serve
- Poached eggs
- Lemon wedges
- Pea shoots
Instructions
- Bake the Potato: Heat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/gas mark 6. Prick the potato several times with a fork and bake it directly on the oven rack for about 1 hour, or until soft inside. Once cooked, cut in half, scoop out the flesh, and mash or pass through a ricer. Set aside.
- Poach the Fish: Place the smoked cod or haddock and hake in a shallow saucepan with the bay leaves and English mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the milk and bring to a simmer over high heat. Once simmering, turn off the heat, cover, and leave the fish to poach gently for 10 minutes.
- Prepare Fishcake Mixture: In a bowl, combine the mashed potato with the egg yolk, butter, a grating of nutmeg, lemon zest and juice, grated cheddar, crabmeat, and finely chopped spring onions. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved poaching milk to moisten the mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Remove the fish from the milk, reserve the milk in a jug, and gently flake the fish into the potato mixture, taking care to keep large chunks intact.
- Form and Coat Fishcakes: Shape the mixture into six even-sized cakes. Place the plain flour, beaten eggs, and panko breadcrumbs into three separate bowls. Dip each fishcake first in flour, then in beaten eggs, and finally coat evenly with breadcrumbs. These can be made up to two days in advance or frozen for up to one month.
- Make the Tartare Velouté Sauce: In a shallow saucepan, melt 25g of butter over medium heat until sizzling. Stir in 25g plain flour to form a sandy paste and cook gently for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the reserved poaching milk until you achieve a smooth, silky sauce. Stir in the double cream and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Finish by adding a squeeze of lemon juice, chopped parsley, and capers, then season to taste. Keep warm until serving.
- Cook the Fishcakes: Heat 4 tablespoons sunflower oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Fry the fishcakes for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp. If your pan is too small to cook all at once, keep cooked fishcakes warm in a low oven.
- Serve: Plate each fishcake and generously spoon the tartare velouté sauce around them. Top each fishcake with a softly poached egg. Garnish with pea shoots and serve with lemon wedges on the side for extra zing.
Notes
- Poaching the fish in milk is crucial as it imparts a delicate flavor and keeps the fish moist.
- Baking the potato instead of boiling keeps it dry and fluffy, ideal for a light, well-structured fishcake.
- The mixture can be prepared ahead and frozen to save time for busy days.
- Ensure the oil is hot enough before frying to get a crisp, golden crust without absorbing excess oil.
- Use panko breadcrumbs for an extra crunchy texture.
- The tartare velouté adds a rich, tangy creaminess that complements the fishcakes beautifully.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: luxury fishcakes, tartare velouté, smoked cod fishcake, seafood cakes, crispy fishcakes, poached eggs, British seafood recipe
