Newfoundland Fish Cakes
Newfoundland Fish Cakes. A delicious comfort food tradition that's part of our collective culinary culture. Made with the simplest of ingredients like potatoes, fish and onions.
Originally published Jan, 2009.
UPDATE: April 2015. I added new photos of this recipe today which are destined for my second cookbook this Fall.
Today's dish and photo come courtesy of 13 year old guest chef Laura Taylor. Laura is from from Conception Bay South and 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.
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.
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.
Newfoundland fish cakes, a traditional favourite.
I remember my grandmother's 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.
They 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! 😉
A brunch idea and an easy lower sodium substitution.
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?!
If you don't like salt fish, or just if you are trying to reduce sodium in your diet, fresh or frozen cod can easily be substituted.
The only thing to be watchful for is seasoning the potato mix. It will likely need a little more salt to taste, to make up for some of what was lost in the substitution.
As always, taste as you go, and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
Looking for more Newfoundland recipes?
If you'd like to see more traditionally inspired recipes from our province, please check out this collection on some of our Most Popular Newfoundland recipes.
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Newfoundland Fish Cakes
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 (See note below for substituting fresh fish)
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 small chopped onion
- 6 cups mashed potato
- 1 beaten egg
- 2 tablespoon dried savoury, (optional) (See notes for substitutions)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Soak the salt cod in cold water overnight.
- 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.
- When the fish is cool, flake it apart with a fork into small pieces.
- In a sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook until they are softened.
- Add the flaked fish along with the mashed potato, egg, pepper and savoury.
- Mix together until well combined, then form into small cakes and roll in flour.
- Fry the fish cakes in canola oil over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve with scrunchions if desired.
Notes
If you don't like salt fish, or just if you are trying to reduce sodium in your diet, fresh or frozen cod can easily be substituted.
The only thing to be watchful for is seasoning the potato mix. It will likely need a little more salt to taste, to make up for some of what was lost in the substitution.
As always, taste as you go, and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
Savoury is a very traditional herb for this recipe but if it is not readily available you can substitute other hers which go well with fish, like parsley, dill, or even tarragon if you like it.
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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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.
Nutrition Information
Yield
18Serving Size
gAmount Per Serving Calories 179Saturated Fat 1gCholesterol 73mgSodium 2689mgCarbohydrates 9gFiber 1gProtein 25g
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.
Yes of course, that's what most people use, although fresh fish cakes are good too.
Just going to make the fish cakes 2 tablespoon of dried savoury seems like a lot Is that what you use?
Also after soaking COD fish do I drain the soaked water and use new water to boil the fish
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
I'd say on a cookie sheet in the oven. Flip them half way through.
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
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.
That's the same recipe I used from my godmother the best ever
I made these fish cakes today and I have to say, for my first time making fish cakes, they turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
I use a can of chicken haddie to replace the salt cod. It works well and less work. Only place I can buy is in the Maritimes. They don’t sell it in Ontario
Barry: My beef with most fish cakes is that there is too much potatoes to taste the fish.
Please say these are not like that.
I doubt you would find these lacking in flavour, but why be so tied to a stringent recipe. This is easily adaptable. Nobody is gonna complain if you want to add more fish.
One of my favourite recipes!! Reminds me of the fish cakes my my mom use to make when I was growing up ❤️.