When preparing tartar sauce fish cakes, I focus on achieving a perfect balance of textures and flavors. I use 250g each of white and smoked fish, blended with 400g cooled mashed potatoes and finely sliced scallions. Half the cakes conceal a precise teaspoon of tartar sauce at their core, sealed meticulously before a double coating of egg and panko. Broiling, rather than frying, yields a crisp, golden crust—yet there’s a key technique to ensure the filling stays creamy inside.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces white fish fillets, skinned and finely cubed
- 6 ounces smoked fish fillets, skinned and finely cubed
- 12 ounces potatoes, cooked and mashed
- 4 scallions, finely chopped
- Flour, for dusting
- 6 tablespoons tartar sauce
- 1 egg, beaten
- 4 1/2 ounces breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
Now, about these ingredients—there’s actually a bit of flexibility here, so don’t panic if your fish is looking a little more “mystery fillet” than what you see at a fancy seafood counter. Any mild white fish will do, and if you can’t find smoked fish? You can get away with just doubling up on the regular white fish, but you’ll miss a little of that smoky depth. As for potatoes, any kind works, but waxy ones might give you a firmer cake—russets are the MVPs for fluffiness, though. Scallions bring a fresh bite, but chives or even a sneaky shallot will work in a pinch. And yes, breadcrumbs can be store-bought or the last gasp of your sandwich loaf—nobody’s judging. The tartar sauce is the fun surprise in the middle, so don’t skimp there. Oh, and don’t forget the flour for your hands, or you’ll be looking like Edward Fish Cake Hands trying to shape things. Just saying.
Steps
- Toss 6 ounces white fish, 6 ounces smoked fish, 12 ounces mashed potatoes, and 4 chopped scallions into a big mixing bowl.
- Mix everything with a spoon or, honestly, just get in there with your hands if you’re feeling brave.
- Flour your hands like you’re about to wrestle a bread dough—otherwise, it’s fish cake glue city.
- Divide the mixture into 12 equal-ish blobs. Size police aren’t checking, so eyeballing is fine.
- Pat each blob into a flat cake, about 1/2 inch thick—think hockey puck, but less dangerous.
- For half of the cakes (so, 6), plop 1 tablespoon tartar sauce right in the middle.
- Top each tartar-slathered cake with a plain one, gently molding and pinching the edges to seal.
- Now you have 6 big cakes with secret tartar sauce centers. Like a fishy treasure chest.
- Crack 1 egg into a bowl, beat it up like it owes you money.
- Pour 4 1/2 ounces breadcrumbs onto a plate, spread them out for maximum crumb coverage.
- Dip each fish cake in the beaten egg, giving it a nice eggy bath.
- Roll each cake in breadcrumbs, pressing gently so those crumbs stick like gossip in a small town.
- Preheat your broiler to moderate heat—if you’re not sure, aim for medium-high.
- Place the cakes on a greased broiler pan or baking sheet, spacing them out so they’re not all up in each other’s business.
- Drizzle or brush the tops with a bit of the 2 tablespoons sunflower oil—don’t drench, just a light spa treatment.
- Broil for 10 minutes, then flip each cake carefully. Use a spatula, not your bare hands, unless you like pain.
- Broil for another 5-10 minutes, basting with more oil if they look dry, until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from the broiler, let them sit for a hot second so you don’t nuke your tongue.
- Serve immediately, preferably with extra tartar sauce and maybe a wedge of lemon if you’re feeling fancy.
- Accept compliments and pretend it was effortless.
- For easier and faster prep when making larger batches, consider using a powerful commercial blender to handle the fish and potato mixture smoothly. Dutch ovens are a beloved piece of classic cookware for hearty one-pot meals and long, slow cooking.
- A quality set like the premium chef knife set can make portioning and prepping the fish and scallions quicker and more precise.
Cooking Tips
Achieving perfectly cooked fish cakes requires attention to detail at every step. I always ensure the tartar sauce fish cakes are uniformly sized for even broiling—use a digital scale for precision. Maintain a moderate broiler temperature, around 375°F, to prevent over-browning. Turn the cakes once at the 10-minute mark, basting lightly with sunflower oil for a golden crust. Serve immediately for optimal texture and flavor.
Final Thoughts
While the assembly of these tartar sauce fish cakes demands careful attention to detail, the result justifies the effort. Encasing precisely 1 tablespoon of tartar sauce within each 2-ounce fish cake requires dexterity and even pressure to seal the edges. Broiling at moderate heat ensures uniform browning and optimal texture. I encourage you to follow each step closely for consistently excellent results and refined flavor balance.