How had I never had a white fish cake before? I’ve enjoyed many crab and salmon cakes, but never white fish. I’ve really been missing out! You know how I like to experiment, so with an extra pound of white fish in my fridge, I wondered what it would be like in a cake and spontaneously made one. I pureed the fish in the Cuisinart to the count of 2 seconds, then added chopped onion, chives, and red pepper, sprinkled with plenty of salt and pepper and mixed together–I tasted it then, and it was an absolutely delicious white fish tartare. I added a beaten egg, formed the mixture into patties, and sprinkled with almond meal. (If you are not doing Paleo, I’d certainly recommend a few bread crumbs to make your life easier. I love a challenge, and did without.) Sans bread crumbs, keeping them intact and flipping them is a little tricky, but they are totally delicious and can be varied in so many different ways. I served with a dollop of my favorite Harissa. Delicious!

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Spectacular White Fish Cake

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Description

This recipe is just a template. You can vary the spices to make it your own. Give it an Italian twist with fresh basil, oregano and finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Indian, with coriander and turmeric, Middle Eastern with some Aleppo pepper and sumac and serve with a yogurt preserved lemon sauce. For Asian, use Wasabi and sesame seeds; or make them Southern style with Old Bay Seasoning. However you season them, they’re a lovely and simple weeknight dinner that is so delicious you’ll want it on the weekend.

Ingredients

  •   1 lb white fish
  •   3/4 cup onion, finely chopped
  •   1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
  •   3/4 cup celery, finely chopped
  •   1/2 bunch of chives, finely chopped
  •   1 egg, slightly beaten
  •   Kosher salt
  •   Freshly ground black pepper
  •   2 cups ground almond meal

Instructions

  1. Pulse the white fish in a Cusinart for about 2 seconds. The idea here is not to puree the fish but to maintain some real texture.
  2. Mix in the onion, red pepper, celery, chives, salt and pepper. If you are going to prepare these right away, add a beaten egg to the mixture at this point, being sure to mix in well. If making in advance, store mixture in the refrigerator now and add the egg when you are ready to form the fish cakes.
  3. When ready to cook, form the mixture into patties, sprinkle with almond meal, and sauté on medium heat, about 4 minutes a side. If they get too browned, turn the heat down and cover until fully cooked.

Notes

Make sure everything is finely chopped.