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Newfoundland Fish Cakes

By 85 Comments

Newfoundland Fish Cakes. A delicious comfort food tradition that’s part of our collective culinary culture.

Newfoundland Fish Cakes

Newfoundland Fish Cakes

Newfoundland Fish Cakes

Newfoundland Fish Cakes

UPDATE: April 2015. I added new photos of this recipe today which are destined for my second cookbook this Fall. I’ve also included a great brunch idea for this traditional favourite by incorporating fish cakes in to a version of Eggs Benedict! Get my shortcut Hollandaise Sauce recipe here.

From Jan 30, 2009

Today’s dish and photo come courtesy of 13 year old guest chef Laura Taylor from Conception Bay South who was looking for tips on making Fish Cakes the traditional Newfoundland way. She chose fish cakes as a traditional Newfoundland meal to complete an assignment for her Grade 8 Social Studies class at Vila Nova School where she is a French Immersion student, hence the photo label Gateau de Poisson.

This very simple dish was a staple on many Newfoundland kitchen tables for who knows how long; probably hundreds of years, given that the simple ingredients were readily available from the land and the sea.

Newfoundland Fish Cakes Eggs Benedict. A traditional favourite food dressed up for an elegant brunch.

Fish Cakes Eggs Benedict

I remember my grandmothers cooking them in large cast iron skillets in the rendered fat from making scrunchions. For our non-native readers, scrunchions are a very traditional accompaniment to several traditional Newfoundland meals and are simply cured fat back pork which is diced in small cubes and then fried until crispy to render out most of the fat.

It does my heart good to know that our food culture is still being kept alive in the classroom. You did a great job on these, Laura; I think they look delicious. If your Social Studies teacher doesn’t give you an A on this one, tell him to take it up with me! 😉

One of my brunch favourites uses these traditional fish cakes in a new way by adding placed eggs and Hollandaise sauce. I sometimes add some crumbled crisp cooked bacon on top as well because what isn’t better with bacon?!

Newfoundland Fish Cakes

Newfoundland Fish Cakes

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Newfoundland Fish Cakes

Newfoundland Fish Cakes

You might also like this Mini Crab Cakes recipe:

Mini Crab Cakes with Title Text

Mini Crab Cakes

Newfoundland Fish Cakes
Yield: 18 fish cakes

Newfoundland Fish Cakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Newfoundland Fish Cakes - These traditional Newfoundland fish cakes have been made for countless generations using the most basic of ingredients like potatoes, salt fish and onions.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds salt dried cod
  • Âź cup butter
  • 1 small chopped onion
  • 6 cups mashed potato
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 2 tbsp dried savoury, (optional)
  • ½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

  1. Soak the salt cod in cold water overnight.
  2. Simmer the salt cod in boiling water for about 15 minutes. Drain the water off the fish and allow the fish to cool to almost room temperature.
  3. When the fish is cool, flake it apart with a fork into small pieces.
  4. In a sautĂŠ pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
  5. Add the onions and cook until they are softened.
  6. Add the flaked fish along with the mashed potato, egg, pepper and savoury.
  7. Mix together until well combined, then form into small cakes and roll in flour.
  8. Fry the fish cakes in canola oil over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
  9. Serve with scrunchions if desired.

Notes

Prep time does not include the overnight soaking time for the salt, dried cod. Scrunchions are ½ inch cubes of cured pork fatback that are fried and rendered to a crispy texture. The scrunchions and rendered fat get served over the fish cakes.

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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Nutrition Information

Yield

18

Serving Size

g
Amount Per Serving Calories 179 Saturated Fat 1g Cholesterol 73mg Sodium 2689mg Carbohydrates 9g Fiber 1g Protein 25g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
© Barry C. Parsons
Cuisine: Newfoundland

Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.

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Comments

  1. This was my 1st time trying this recipe for the Newfoundland Fish Cakes and i must say my husbandand i simply loved them. The recipe was easy and fast to do. I am impressed by the flavour of them. That is just what i needed a recipe that does not take all day to make. Very delicious!! I would recommend them to anyone who likes fish! Thank you for posting the recipe it sure came in handy.

    Reply

    • When I’m missing down home this is what I cook. It cures the longing to be back home. Sure is one of the best ways to cure missing the rock

      Reply

  4. Savory is not an option must a necessity for the flavor. Onions can be added just to the fish/potato mix and they cook just fine. This was my Mother’s way of cooking fishcakes–except now I buy deboned saltfish. I have been told they are very good.

    Reply

  5. I always boil my potatoes the day before. Let cool and then cover them with a paper towel and platic wrap.. Place in fridge. This paper towel idea takes the wetness out of the potatoes.

    Reply

  6. These fish cakes were amazing! I omitted the savory because my husband gets heartburn when he eats it. Also, I fried up the onions with scrunchions instead of butter. I then added the scrunchions to the mixture. I used the fat from the scrunchions to fry up the fish cakes. I served my fish cakes with mustard pickles 🙂 Thanks so much for this awesome recipe!!

    Reply


  8. I make mine up the night before a dinner party, refrigerate for the savoury to mingle & take out about 1/2 hour before frying!
    I serve mini fish cake appetizers with a sweet Asian sauce mixed with sour cream or light mayo diluted with milk. Always a big hit especially for those that have not had fish cakes with the Nfld savoury before, yes it is the savoury that makes a difference,

    Reply

  10. Is it possible to sub another white fish for cod, like frozen flounder? I live in Saskatchewan and salt dried cod may not be available.

    Reply

  11. We loved these ! So easy to make & so yummy! I didn’t have to soak the cod overnight just put it in cold water in the morning & gave it 4-5 good rinses throughout the day!

    Reply

  14. This may be a stupid question but if you have fresh cod, could you use that instead of salt fish and would it taste as good? Would adding salt to the dish, provide the same taste as salt fish?

    Reply


  16. I made this recipe for supper tonight and what a hit! Even the picky eater that doesn’t like fish cleaned her plate! I wouldn’t change a thing about these fish cakes! Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

  17. This looks so good. I loved fishcakes when I was growing up. My dad would add a little bit of parsnip to his fishcakes, that was his mother’s secret.

    Reply


  18. Have made this recipe a couple of times. Forgot to soak the fish the first time and OH really enjoyed them that way so that is my only change to this delicious recipe 🙂

    Reply

  19. I used salt cod, striped bass and haddock for types if fish. my only issue is mine seem to fall apart easy when cooking. Any suggestions?

    Reply


  20. I just made this recipe tonight they were delicious. Almost like my grandmother’s, she didn’t put savoury in her fish cakes. The next time I will omitted the savoury. Thank you so much for this recipe. I will definitely be making these again. 😀

    Reply

  21. Hi there, can these be baked? or how could I make them a little crispy but not fried? Trying to be a little health conscious, maybe baked in a pan greased with butter?

    Reply

  24. This may sound silly but is salt cod the same thing as corn fish? (Maybe pernounced corned -salted cod fillets) I would love to try this recipe and I only have corn fish

    Reply

  26. I find corned cod works better.Simply catch or buy fresh cod and spread sea salt on both sides.Let it sit for a few hours Rince the salt of with cold water and presto you have corned cod.. Best with home made backed beans.

    Reply

  27. When thawing my fish cakes, they release a LOT of water making them hard to manage ( they want to fall apart). Any ideas?

    Reply

  28. I make fish cakes all the time and freeze them . You do not thaw them before frying . Just toss fish cakes in a hot pan with a little butter and oil. They will not fall apart . ( wrap separately in Saran before freezing ) . I servebthem with fresh home made bread and of course mustard .

    Reply

  30. Savoury is a must! These are great served with mustard pickles.
    Do you ever add an egg to the potato/ fish mixture?

    Reply

  33. Just managed to find salt cod for the first time in many years! (I live in the Fraser Valley BC). And now I found your recipe! Sounds like my Grandma’s old recipe that I lost awhile back–thank you!!!

    Reply


  34. These fish are great. They go wonderful with baked beans and, of course, green tomato chow chow. This is a must.

    Reply

  36. These sound terrific! Very similar to Portuguese Cod Balls that I grew up with except those use fresh parsley instead of savoury. I’ll be trying your version next with the savoury.

    Thanks for sharing all your recipes!

    Reply


  37. This is my first time cooking with salted cod. I made bacala stew and wondered what to do with extra salt cod I had. Google led me straight to your door, wonderful and beloved Newfoundland. I have a love for the people and province of Nfld and Labrador and I’ve never been there. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming to the aid of all the plane people, many who were my fellow citizens from the U.S. Your kindness to 7000 people coming out of the sky all at once show how special the citizens of your country, your province and your towns are. I am honored to have you as neighbors. God Bless each of you.

    Back to food: i made the Newfoundland Salted Cod Cakes. WOW. They were delicious. They came out looking great. The only change I made was adding Old Bay Seasoning since I didn’t have savoury. I’ll be making these for many more years.

    Reply

  38. You’ll never hear anybody mention adding corn to your cakes. You do not not know what you’re missing.
    Rendering pork fat in the microwave is quick, easy, and stinkless. 1/2″ cubes sounds pretty darn big to me.
    But I’m a come from away 🙁

    Reply

  39. . I have not made the patties yet but am concernd with the sodium content in the serving size. Being a cardiac patient the sodium is more than the recommended amount allowed. Do you have any suggestions to cut the amount of sodium ?

    Reply

  40. I live in Port Alberni BC (2010 Ultimate Fishing Town) of West Coast or some might say the Wet Coast.. We are planning a summer trip to East Coast. I’m going to try your recipe and want to clarify Step 1: soak salt code overnight – I have to presume the salt cod is removed from this water if yes Step 2: Simmer salt cod for 15 minis in boiling water – this would be fresh pot of water. It may sound silly to ask, however once I start I want to get it right, a piece of salt cod is not cheap. Thanks Barbi

    Reply


  41. Make them all the time, bought the salt cod today six dollars a pound, my father sold it in his store 1992 for .69 cent a pound !!!!

    Reply

  42. Salt fish cakes, served with a dollop of rhubarb chutney… two flavours that are absolutely meant for each other…

    Reply

  44. Recipe calls for one and 1/2 pounds of dried salt cod so I am wondering how many cups of fish this would be after it has been soaked and flaked?
    I am planning on using fresh cooked fish but I don’t know how many cups should be used.

    Reply


  45. Just a quick word to say how much I love your recipes and down-home explanations. I’m looking forward to making your chocolate mice.

    I realize that your post on fish cakes is old, from ‘way back in 2009, but I had to make this comment. The translation for “fish cakes” in French is not “gateau de poisson” but should be “galette de poisson”. The word “galette” refers to a round. flat disk of some food stuff such as potato or fish.

    The word “gateau” cannot be used to mean “cake” as in “fish cake” because that would imply that the “cake” is large like a loaf. The French use the word “cake” to describe savoury and sweet loaves that we would call “quickbreads”. For example, I own a French cookbook called, “Les Cakes de Sophie” (Sophie’s Quickbreads), and they are all quickbreads that are baked in bread loaf pans, sweet or savoury such as what we would call zucchini bread, ham and cheese bread, black olive and feta cheese bread, asparagus bread, etc.
    See her book here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2601746-les-cakes-de-sophie

    All the best to you and your family this Christmas! Keep up the great work!

    Reply

  46. Hi Barry, we have some salt cod that my daughter got my wife, who is from Newfoundland for Christmas and she wanted me to ask if we can use it for fish cakes. We love this site. Thank you for this site.

    Reply

  47. I would like to take these fish cakes to potluck supper but don’t have the luxury of frying them there. What is the best way to reheat them

    Reply

  48. Hi Barry! Let’s get right to it. What is salt cod and where can I find it in the US? I am in Wisconsin in the mid-East. The fish stores of my childhood are all gone. The majority of cod we get here is frozen. I have seen recipes for salt cod but never keep them because I have no way obtain the fish. If you know a way to get it here thank you. If not I enjoy all your other wonderful recipes! Best Wishes Barb

    Reply

  49. No idea about your area, Barb but I would look for a Portuguese market which may sell it as baccalau.. It is simply cod that has been dry cured in rock salt. Try Googling “buy salt cod online” too.

    Reply

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