Prawn Cod Cakes Recipes

ULTIMATE FISH CAKES

Steps:

• Mix together 125ml mayonnaise, 1 rounded tbsp roughly chopped capers, 1 rounded tsp creamed horseradish, 1 rounded tsp Dijon mustard, 1 small very finley chopped shallot and 1 tsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley. Set aside.
• Lay 450g skinned Icelandic cod or haddock fillet and 2 bay leaves in a frying pan. Pour over 150ml milk and 150ml water.
• Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 4 mins. Take off the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 mins to gently finish cooking the fish.
• Meanwhile, peel and chop 350g Maris Piper potatoes into even-sized chunks. Put them in a saucepan and just cover with boiling water. Add a pinch of salt, bring back to the boil and simmer for 10 mins or until tender, but not broken up.
• Lift the fish out of the milk with a slotted spoon and put on a plate to cool. Drain the potatoes in a colander and leave for a min or two.
• Tip the potatoes back into the hot pan on the lowest heat you can and let them dry out for 1 min, mashing them with a fork and stirring so they don't stick. You should have a light, dry fluffy mash.
• Take off the heat and beat in 1 rounded tbsp of the sauce, then ½ tsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley and 1 tbsp snipped chives.
• Season well with salt and pepper. The potato should have a good flavour, so taste and adjust to suit.
• Drain off liquid from the fish, grind some pepper over it, then flake it into big chunks into the pan of potatoes.
• Using your hands, gently lift the fish and potatoes together so they just mix. You'll only need a couple of turns, or the fish will break up too much. Put to one side and cool.
• Beat 1 egg on a large plate and lightly flour a board. Spread 85g fresh white breadcrumbs on a baking sheet. Divide the fish cake mixture into four.
• On the floured board, and with floured hands, carefully shape into four cakes, about 2.5cm thick. One by one, sit each cake in the egg, and brush over the top and sides so it is completely coated.
• Sit the cakes on the crumbs, patting the crumbs on the sides and tops so they are lightly covered. Transfer to a plate, cover and chill for 30 mins (or up to a day ahead).
• Heat 3-4 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil in a large frying pan. To test when ready, drop a piece of the dry breadcrumbs in - if it sizzles and quickly turns golden brown, it is ready to use.
• Fry the fish cakes over a medium heat for about 5 mins on each side or until crisp and golden. Serve with the rest of the sauce (squeeze in a little lemon to taste), lemon wedges for squeezing over and watercress.

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.

SPICY PRAWN CAKES

Steps:

• Chop 1 spring onion and tip into a food processor. Slice the remaining 2 spring onions diagonally and set aside. Halve both chillies lengthways and discard the seeds. Put 1 chilli into the food processor, finely chop the other and set aside.
• Add the lime zest, sugar, 2 tbsp of the coriander and a generous pinch of sea salt to the spring onion and chilli in the processor and whizz to a coarse paste. Add the prawns and whizz until everything is chopped but still has some texture.
• Tip the mixture on to a floured surface and with floured hands lightly shape into 4 rounds, each about 1cm thick. (You can make ahead up to this point. Cover and keep refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
• Heat 2 tbsp of the sunflower oil in a smallish frying pan and start frying the prawn cakes - cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side, turning them over when they become golden. As soon as you have turned the prawn cakes, put the noodles into a saucepan of boiling water on a back burner. Stir to separate and cook for 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a wok (or another frying pan) and stir-fry the garlic, ginger and reserved chilli for 1 minute. Tip in the mangetout and reserved spring onions and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil and lime juice.
• Drain the noodles and toss them into the stir-fry. Pile on to plates, top with the prawn cakes and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and remaining coriander.

CRISPY SHRIMP CAKES WITH CHILE-LIME MAYO

Steps:

• In the bowl of the food processor (or you can use a blender), add the rice cakes and pulse until you get 1 1/4 cups rice cake crumbs. Return 1/4 cup crumbs to the food processor, reserving the remaining 1 cup for coating the cakes.
• Add shrimp, shallot, 4 tablespoons each of the cilantro and basil, and 2 tablespoons jalapeño to the crumbs. Add 2 teaspoons fish sauce, and a pinch each salt and pepper. Pulse until the mixture forms a coarse, chunky paste. (Be careful not to overprocess; if using a blender, scrape down the sides frequently.) Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate while you make the sauce (at least 15 minutes and up to 24 hours).
• In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, remaining cilantro, basil, jalapeño and fish sauce. Zest the lime into the bowl, then cut the naked lime into wedges and squeeze in some juice. Salt to taste. Reserve extra lime wedges for serving.
• Spread remaining 1 cup rice cake crumbs out onto a plate or sheet pan. With wet hands to keep shrimp paste from sticking, form 2 tablespoons of shrimp mixture into a 1/2-inch-thick patty and put it on top of the crumbs. Repeat with remaining shrimp mixture, re-wetting your hands as necessary. Turn the patties over in the crumbs to coat both sides.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Fry patties in batches until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve shrimp cakes topped with more basil leaves, with chile-lime sauce for dunking and lime wedges on the side for squeezing.

CURRIED CORN WITH COD & PRAWNS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cook the corn cobs in a pan of lightly salted boiling water for 10 mins. Drain and leave to cool slightly. Stand the cobs upright on a board and slice the kernels off using a sharp knife in a downward motion along the length of the cob.
• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 10 mins until golden and caramelised. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, ground coriander, chilli and turmeric, and cook for 2 mins more. Tip in the coconut milk and tomatoes, then bring to a simmer. Arrange the cod fillets in a large roasting tin or casserole, then pour the spiced coconut and tomato mixture around the fish. Add the corn and prawns, and bake for 18-20 mins. Scatter with with fresh coriander and chillies and serve with rice and lime wedges on the side for squeezing over.