Fishcake

A fishcake served on salad

A fishcake (sometimes written as fish cake) is a food item similar to a croquette, consisting of a filleted fish and potato patty sometimes coated in breadcrumbs or batter, and fried. Fishcakes are often served in British fish and chip shops. Commonly fishcakes used cod as a filling; however, as cod stocks have been depleted other varieties of white fish are used, such as haddock or whiting. Fishcakes may also use oily fish such as salmon for a markedly different flavour.

Fishcakes have also traditionally been made from salted fish (most commonly cod, haddock or pollock). Fishcakes are also prepared without breadcrumbs or batter, and are made with a mixture of cooked fish, potatoes and occasionally eggs formed into patties and then fried.

In Dorset and in particular,South Yorkshire,parts of West Yorkshire and Humberside,England,the traditional fishcake served in a Fish and Chip shop will consist of two slices of potato (sometimes parboiled), with offcuts of fish in between, deep fried in batter .These can be known as Yorkshire Fishcakes,Scallop Fishcakes,or Fish Patties.Chef Brian Turner has made the recipe available via his website.

Also a variation of the fish cake sold in Fish and Chip Shops in and around Castleford, West Yorkshire, England is the Parsley Cake, which consists of minced fish, mashed potato and fresh parsley, coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried.

The fishcake has been seen as a way of using up leftovers that might otherwise be thrown away. In Mrs Beeton's 19th century publication Book of Household Management, her recipe for fishcakes calls for "leftover fish" and "cold potatoes". More modern recipes have added to the dish, suggesting ingredients such as smoked salmon and vegetables.

Global Variations

Thai Thot man pla at a market in Chiang Mai

As fish has traditionally been a major dietary component of people living near seas, rivers, and lakes; there have arisen many regional variations of the fish cake.

• In Bermuda, fish cakes are known as Bermuda Fish Cakes and are made especially during Easter, but also throughout the year if Bermudians have leftovers from their traditional Sunday breakfast of codfish and potatoes. In Bermuda, fish cakes are normally eaten between hot cross buns.
• In Denmark, fiskefrikadeller are slightly elongated, pan-fried patties much like regular frikadeller. They are normally not coated in breadcrumbs. In Southern Jutland, fiskefrikadeller sometimes contain smoked hog fat.
• In parts of East Asia, fish balls are made of kneaded (not minced) fish dough.
• In Japan, white fish is pureed and steamed into a loaf called kamaboko.
• In Jewish cuisine, gefilte fish are patties of white fish mixed with matzoh or challah, poached in the skin of the fish.
• In Norway, fish balls are formed into spherical fiskeboller ("fish buns": fisk + boller) from forcemeat.
• In Northern Germany, fish cakes are known as Fischfrikadellen.
• In Portugal, Pastéis de Bacalhau (codfish pastry) are a type of very popular fishcake. Pastéis are made of potato, codfish (Bacalhau), parsley and eggs
• In Sweden, canned fiskbullar are widely found, in contrast to fiskefrikadeller they are not fried but boiled and as a result almost entirely white.
• In Thailand the fish is mashed with chopped green beans, coriander, fish sauce, Kaffir lime leaves, Thai chilli paste, an egg binding and lashings of chopped coriander[including stalks]!. It is deep fried and usually served with a dipping sauce.

Variations can depend on what type of fish is used; how finely chopped the fish is; the use of milk or water; the used of flour or boiled potatoes; the use of eggs, egg whites, or no eggs; the cooking method (boiling, frying, or baking); and the inclusion of other ingredients (for example, shrimp, bacon, herbs, or spices).

See also

• Fishstick
• Crab cake
• Clam cake
• Salmon burger