New England Cod Cakes Recipes

NEW ENGLAND-STYLE COD AND POTATO CAKES WITH TARTAR SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°F. Place 2 nonstick baking sheets in oven.
• In medium saucepan, cover cod with cold water by 1 inch. Set over moderately high heat and bring to simmer. Drain and set aside to cool.
• Using box grater or food processor fitted with grating disc, coarsely grate potato and set aside in colander to drain.
• In large mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs. Whisk in flour, then add onion, celery seeds, and celery salt. Break cod into small flakes and add to bowl.
• Press potatoes to extract as much liquid as possible, then add to bowl. Season mixture with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using wooden spoon or hands, mix well, but do not overwork.
• In heavy-bottomed, 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter until hot but not smoking. Drop 4 scant 1/4-cup portions of batter into pan and flatten with spatula to form four 3-inch pancakes.
• Fry until bottoms are golden-brown, 4 to 5 minutes, then turn over and fry until golden-brown and crisp, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; season immediately with salt and pepper. Keep warm on baking sheets in oven while making remaining pancakes.
• Using paper towels, carefully wipe out pan. Add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter and fry 4 more pancakes. Repeat with remaining batter, wiping out pan and adding 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter before each batch.
• Serve pancakes hot with Tartar Sauce .

NEW ENGLAND CODFISH CAKES

Steps:

• Season fillets well with salt and pepper. Place on the rack of a steamer over boiling water. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. Remove rack and fish and let fillets cool.
• Peel potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Cover with cold water in a saucepan. Add sliced onions, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Drain potatoes well and mash them coarsely.
• When fish is cool enough to handle, flake it with a fork.
• Place potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and grated onion. Blend very well and add fish, folding it in lightly without overmixing. Put mixture in a baking dish and chill in refrigerator.
• When mixture is thoroughly cool, shape it into 12 hamburger-size patties. Put flour in a shallow dish and dredge fish cakes in it. Shake off excess flour.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet. Fry patties for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately. Use remaining 2 tablespoons oil if necessary. Serve with tartar sauce (see recipe).

COD CAKES

Steps:

• Fill a shallow, wide pan with high sides with about an inch of water, and set it over high heat. Add the peppercorns, bay leaf and 1 section of the lemon to the water, and allow it to come to a bare simmer. Place the fish into this poaching liquid, and cook, barely simmering, until the flesh has just begun to whiten all the way through, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Using a wide spatula, carefully remove the fish from the water, and set aside to cool.
• Empty the pan, and return it to the stove, over medium-high heat. Add the butter, and allow it to melt, swirling it around the pan. When the butter foams, add the celery, onions and garlic, and sauté, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and the onions turn translucent, then transfer them to a large bowl.
• In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, eggs, salt, pepper and seasoning salt (or paprika and hot-pepper flakes), then add this mixture to the bowl with the sautéed vegetables, pour the crushed saltines or bread crumbs over them and stir to combine. Add the parsley, and stir again.
• Flake the cooked fish into the binding sauce carefully, keeping the flakes as whole as you can manage, then gather them into small balls, and form them into patties, 4-6 for a main course, 6-8 for an appetizer. Place them on a sheet pan or platter, cover loosely with plastic wrap and transfer them to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set.
• Set a large sauté pan over high heat, and add to it the neutral oil. When the oil is shimmering, remove the fish cakes from the refrigerator, and carefully sauté the patties until they are golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes a side. Work in batches if necessary. (A small smear of mayonnaise on the exterior of the patties will give them a crisp crust.) Serve them alone, or with greens dressed in a lemony vinaigrette, with the remaining wedges of lemon.

MOORE'S NEW ENGLAND CODFISH CAKES

Steps:

• Cover the cod with cold water for 1 to 2 hours or until the cod can be torn. Change the water once or twice if the water gets excessively salty-taste. Note: DO NOT over freshen. I think salt cod must be less salty than in days of yore.
• Pare the potatoes but leave whole.
• Place the potatoes & cod in a saucepan just large enough to hold tearing the cod into pieces to fit if necessary. Cover & simmer slowly until the potatoes are tender.
• Drain & separate the cod & potatoes.
• Rice or mash the potatoes.
• Place the cod in the center of a clean kitchen towel. Roll up, & shred the cod by rubbing the cod with your fingers through the towel. (This method allows you to feel any bones that might be lurking in the fish.).
• Mix together the cod & potatoes then mix in the egg & pepper mixture. Taste for salt, add salt if the cod was "over-freshened". Can be refrigerated at this point.
• Shape the mixture into cakes about 2" in diameter & about ½" thick.
• Fry in bacon fat or butter, in a heavy skillet, over medium heat until golden on each side-about 2 or 3 minutes a side.

ED COOPER'S COD CAKES

Steps:

• Rinse salt cod under running water for 5 to 10 minutes to remove salt. Put in a pan, cover with cold water and heat to just below boiling. Drain immediately and cover with fresh cold water. Repeat the heating and draining procedure two or three times, until cod is pleasantly but not overpoweringly salty.
• Cut potatoes in half and put in a pan with salt cod and fresh cod. Cover with cold water. Place over medium heat, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork. Remove from heat, let cool slightly and drain.
• Using a potato masher, roughly break up the cod and the potatoes. Continue mixing together until the mixture is cohesive. Lightly beat the eggs and add to the mixture, together with the baking powder. Add the chopped onions and mix well.
• Taste the mixture and add salt, pepper and Tabasco. When seasoning is correct, form mixture into flattened balls that will fit comfortably in your palm.
• Put an inch of lard or vegetable oil in the bottom of a heavy-duty saute pan. Set over medium heat and heat oil until a bread cube dropped into the oil turns golden quickly. Ease cod cakes into the hot fat and cook about 15 minutes to a side, turning once. Adjust heat so cod cakes do not burn, but become golden all over. Drain on paper towels, if desired.