Victorian Era Fish Cakes Recipes

PROPER BRITISH FISH CAKES

Steps:

• Mix mayonnaise, capers, shallot, parsley, tarragon, horseradish, mustard, and cayenne together in a bowl for tartar sauce and refrigerate until needed.
• Add milk and bay leaf to a saucepan and place the pieces of fish over the top. Season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. As soon as the fish firms up, but before it starts to flake apart, turn off the heat and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes before draining. Let cool, about 10 minutes. Refrigerate until needed.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add russet potato and boil until tender but not falling apart.
• Drain and mash potato in a bowl. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Add parsley, chives, and lemon zest; add 1 tablespoon tartar sauce mixture. Mix until combined. Flake chilled fish over the top. Mix until combined.
• Scoop out ¼ of the mixture and form into a patty. Repeat with remaining mixture.
• Dust cakes with flour on both sides. Brush both sides of cakes with beaten egg. Coat in bread crumbs.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry patties in the hot oil until golden brown and heated through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels before serving with tartar sauce.

VICTORIAN ERA FISH CAKES

Steps:

• Poach the fish fillets with the carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf, leeks and the parsley sprigs in enough water to cover the fish, by bringing to a boil and then reducing to low and simmering for approximately 15 minutes.
• Remove the fish and mash with a fork; then mix in the mashed potato, ONE of the beaten eggs and the remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the breadcrumbs, the oil and the remaining beaten egg.
• With floured hands, form mixture into 4 cakes; dip each cake into the remaining beaten egg and then coat with the breadcrumbs.
• Heat about an inch of olive oil in a non-stick skillet and just before the oil starts to smoke, carefully add the fish cakes over medium heat until golden on both sides.
• It has been said that Victorian cooks served the fish cakes over a sorrel or spinach based sauce.
• Cooktime includes both the poaching time for the fish and frytime for the formed fish cakes.