Phase: Any phase once you are eating solids. White fish is one of the leanest proteins there is, so these suit strict and stable phases alike.
Fish cakes are usually a fried, breadcrumbed, mayonnaise-bound problem for us. Stripped back, they do not have to be. White fish is one of the leanest proteins there is, potato binds it without any fat, and herbs and lemon carry the flavour. Bake them or set them in a dry non-stick pan, no oil bath required. They are a cheap, satisfying way to eat fish that is not just another fillet on a plate.
Makes: about 6 small cakes (2 to 3 servings) · about 1 g fat and 170 kcal per serving
Prep 25 min · Cook 35 min · Total 1 h 20 min
Ingredients
- White fish fillet (cod, hake, pollock, tilapia), 300 g / 10 oz
- Potato, 300 g / 10 oz, peeled and boiled until soft
- Egg white, 1 (binds without the yolk’s fat)
- Spring onion, 2, finely sliced (or 1 tbsp finely chopped onion)
- Fresh dill and parsley, 2 tbsp total, chopped
- Lemon, half, zest and a squeeze of juice
- Garlic powder, 1/2 tsp
- Salt, to taste (no pepper, it is on my permanent no list)
Method
- Poach the fish gently in simmering water or broth for 8 to 10 minutes until it flakes. Drain well and let it cool, then flake it, checking carefully for bones.
- Mash the boiled potato in a bowl, no butter or milk. Let it cool a little.
- Add the flaked fish, egg white, spring onion, herbs, lemon zest and juice, garlic powder and salt. Mix gently so the fish stays in flakes.
- Shape into 6 small patties. Chill them for 20 minutes if you have time, it helps them hold.
- To bake: heat the oven to 200 C / 400 F, sit the cakes on a lined tray, bake 20 to 25 minutes, turning once, until set and lightly golden. To pan-set: cook in a hot non-stick pan with no oil, 4 to 5 minutes a side, turning carefully.
- Serve with lemon wedges and a green salad or steamed vegetables.
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Fat note: Very low. The fat comes only from the fish itself, which for white fish is minimal. No frying oil, no yolk, no mayonnaise. Use the egg white, not the whole egg, to keep it that way.
Safety note: Check carefully for small bones as you flake the fish. Cook until the fish is opaque and flakes easily and any egg is set. Cool within two hours, refrigerate up to 2 days, or freeze. Reheat until piping hot.
Stepan’s Rule: Chill the shaped cakes before cooking. Twenty minutes in the fridge is the difference between a fish cake that holds and a sad pile of flakes in the pan.
Patient experience, not medical advice.
The principles behind this, leaning on naturally lean proteins and binding without fat, run through the whole recipe section of the book.