Homemade Fishcakes

When evenings are closing in, what better than some ultimate comfort food in the form of homemade fishcakes?

We bought our fish from Net and Line in Bath (fun fact, Bath’s only fishmonger), potatoes and fresh herbs from Eades of Bath, flour from Wessex Mill and butter and eggs from the Newton Farm Shop.

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 6, SERVES 3):

650g of mixed fish (fish should ‘flake’ well when cooked so try cod, salmon, smoked haddock)
2 potatoes (about 600g)
15g butter (for mashing potatoes)
1 shallot
3 garlic cloves
1 dessert spoon fresh chives
a handful of fresh flat parsley
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 egg (whisked)
4 tbsp flour
small bunch of watercress (to serve)
splash of olive oil (to fry)

METHOD:

preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4 and bake the fish for around 10 minutes, remove the skin and flake, check for bones and remove. Set aside in a bowl
peel and chop the potatoes into even pieces and boil with 2 peeled whole garlic cloves until the potatoes are soft
once the potatoes are cooked, remove the whole garlic cloves, add the butter and mash until smooth. Season to taste

finely chop the shallot and one garlic clove
heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan, add the shallots and sauté until they begin to lose colour. Add in the garlic and sauté for a few seconds longer

add the cooked shallot and garlic into the bowl with the fish. Add the chives, parsley, grated lemon zest, and seasoning and mix

add 2/3 of the potatoes and mix until all ingredients are evenly combined
if you are happy with the consistency and the mix is coming together in a ball then leave it like that. If not, add in the rest of the potatoes and mix again
divide the mixture into 6 even balls. Shape into ‘patties’ with your hand
dip the patties into the whisked egg (or brush them if that is easier) and lightly roll them in the flour until just coated all over
in a clean frying pan heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, carefully place the fish cakes into the pan a fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until they are crisp and golden
if your frying pan is small, cook the fishcakes in batches

TIP: to keep the cooked fishcakes warm and crispy whilst frying in batches, put them in the oven on a lined baking tray