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Back in the day, Friday dinner was always something of a catch as catch can. Meat was out of the question. Dinner had to be built from a variety of other choices, some not so good as others.On the best Friday nights, dinner might be pancakes. Now, pancakes were a fun selection except for one thing, there was neither bacon nor scrapple to go with the pancakes. Then there was "pasta-cheech." In proper Italian that would be "pasta e cecci." But in the American-Italian linguistic transformation the word "cecci" turned out a bit differently. When I researched this dish on line, I found it primarily as a soup. But this is not how we had it. For us it was more like any other pasta dish, only without meat. In my earliest recollections my mother made
"pasta cheech" with pasta "shells," pasta now seldom seen that is in the shape of a conch shell (conchiglie)*( con-kye - lee aye). The sauce was non-meat tomato and cecci, (chick peas.) The substitution of the chick peas for meat would now be a much appreciated vegetarian dish. But, in those days, we hated the chick peas.They were dry and tasteless. Eventually she substituted the cecci with peas (frozen). That was a great improvement. The too, there was pizza, made in a large cookie tray and garnished with tomato sauce and cheese. The other repeated Friday dinner was fish sticks or fish cakes from the freezers of Mrs. Pauls.(That's a Philadelphia Company.Elsewhere it may have been Gorton's .) Of course, the primary ingredient for those breaded fish sticks and fish cakes was ketchup. Ketchup was the true main course, delivered on bland fish with no taste whatsoever and fried bread crumbs. |
This summer when thinking about ways to use the wonderfully fresh and sweet fruits and vegetables of the season,something triggered the recollection of fish cakes with ketchup. In the way our minds work, suddenly the idea of a wonderful summer salsa replaced the bottle of Heinz Ketchup.
But the thought of the salsa didn't quite gel with the idea of a cod based fish cake. In traditional Italian cooking, the cod for a fish cake is made from salted dry cod, "baccalà." So, I thought, can I make the fish cakes from fresh cod. Nope! It just doesn't work. I tried dicing raw cod, but the knife just doesn't break it down correctly. Then I tried the Cuisinart That just turned the fish to mush. If you are using fresh cod you have to boil or steam it first. Out came the Chinese steamer. It worked perfectly. The steam cooked the fish but did not infuse it with too much water. Then, when cooled a bit,the cod broke down into small but substantial flakes. When mixed with mashed potatoes, coated in bread crumbs and fried, the result was like eating a delicate crispy cloud of the most subtle taste and texture. Now, here again, there are variations.In this version I added crushed onions to the potatoes and then threw in a goodly measure of capers.Instead of onions, you might also use chives or scallions. Some folks may like to add chopped peppers, hot or sweet, to the fish and mashed potato base. While you can add any number of other spices or flavorings, I wouldn't go too far.The beauty of this dish is the simple and light delicacy of the fish cake. The second part of this recipe is the salsa. The salsa, the use of sweet summer produce, is what prompted my ideas about this recipe. The light summer taste of tomato, cucumber, peppers and lime lightly enhance the airy texture and light taste of these cod cakes. If you are going to work with your own fish cakes, the last thing you want to do is to surrender them to the overwhelming sugary vinegar of a bottle of ketchup. Fried cod cakes may not be something that you might immediately think of for summer. But when served with this summer salsa, it fits right in. Set out your fry pan on an evening that's not all that hot. The end result is most refreshing. |
What you need
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Equipment
Wok or deep frying pan. Potato ricer or masher. Immersion blender or Cuisinart. Sharp knife. Metal spatula. Spider. Wooden spoon. Bowl for the panko. Plate for the cakes. |
Ingredients Cod Cakes
For the cakes.
Cod - fresh cod, not dry salted. A nice sized piece. Potatoes - three or four depending on their size. In this recipe I used four small to medium Yukon Gold from a local farm. Egg. one. Onion - one small to medium. Panko - or regular bread crumbs. Broad Panko style work best. Salt and Pepper. Frying oil. For this dish, simple vegetable oil is sufficient, but olive or grape oil also work well. Optional: ginger, paprika, chopped chili pepper, capers, parsley. Salsa
Tomato. One.
Cucumber.Half, peeled, opened and seeded. Pepper. In this recipe I use a poblano, but any other variety would work as well. Peach.One good sized, peeled and stone removed. Hot Pepper. Optional. In this recipe I used a small Thai Chili.(Seed the chili to cut the intense heat.) Anchovies. At least four anchovies from the tin. Lime. Juice of one lime. Salt. |
Getting it together: the mise-en-place, have all your elements prepared before you start to cook.
Cod
Steam or broil the cod.
Here I am usuing a bamboo steamer. While the cod is steaming, go on to the other preparations. |
Potatoes
Peel and cube the potatoes.
Put them in a micrwave safe dish. Cover then in plastic wrap. Microwave for about 8 minutes until they are soft. |
Onions
Peel and dice the onions.
Puree them with an immersion blender or in a cuisinart. |
Shread the cod
When the cod has steamed, set it out on a board and crush it with a fork. The pieces should be lumpy. Do not reduce it to mush.
Set aside. |
Mash the potatoes
By now, the potatoes should be ready.
Pass them through a ricer or crush them down as finely as possible. |
All together by hand
Add together all the elements: the potato base, the cod, an egg, capers, salt and pepper.
You may also add chopped chili peppers or any other taste that you would like. Use your hands to blend. Do not let it become a mash. You should see and feel all the elements. Have the dish of panko ready. |
Shaping the cakes
The tricky part. The cakes are fragile. Shape the cod and potato mixture in your hands. To start, hold the patty in one hand and use the other hand to pat on the panko. Then dab the patty into the bowl of panko. They are delicate and light. Be careful.
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Sitting
Set the cakes on a paper towel on a plate and refrigerate. I let mine sit for a full day, or overnight.
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The salsa. While the cakes are resting make the salsa. It's a good idea to let this sit all day or overnight. In this way the flavor develops.
Ingredients
While the cakes are resting, prepare the
salsa. Use a knife to prepare the vegetables. A Cuisinart will turn the salsa into mush. Take each of the ingredients, cucumber, tomato, peach, pepper and anchovies, (chili pepper) and dice them finely. |
Curing the salsa
Add the ingredients together. Sprikle with cider vinegar and squeeze all over with the juice of a lime.
Salt lightly. Stir. Let this sit in the refrigerator all day or over night. |
Later in the day or on the next day.
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Salsa
Remove the salsa from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. |
Frying the cakes
Heat the oil in a wok or deep skillet.
Use a spatually to carefully lay the cakes into the hot oil. Let them brown on each side. Remember, the fish is already cooked. This is only a browning process. When the cakes are fried, set them on a paper towel to let the excess oil drain. |
Dinner version
Set out the cakes and garnish with the salsa
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Breakfast/Brunch version
Poach an egg and serve over the cake with jellied toasts and bacon.
Garnish with the salsa. |