Clem's Crab & Fish Cakes, and Fish Fingers

 
Fish cakes are not cake as in birthday cake. The are savoury patties like meat patties. And fish do not have fingers. That product is probably more accurately described as fingers of fish (or fish soldiers but then that opens up more misconceptions).

If you make fish fingers, you will probably have off-cuts when squaring up the fish fillet. These are used to make fish cakes. Let's see how we make fish fingers and cakes:
 


Clem's Crab and Deep Sea Cod Cakes; and Deep Sea Cod Crumbed Fingers on a bed of baby spinach and rocket
Served with tartare sauce and a slice of lemon
 


INGREDIENTS

 

For fingers

  • As much fish fillet of the variety that you like for as many fingers of a size which you prefer.
    I used Deep Sea Cod.
     

  • Eggs for beating into an eggwash.
     

  • Plain flour seasoned with pepper, salt and any other ingredient of your preference e.g. herbs.
     

  • Panko breadcrumbs.

    Breadcrumbs are ground into a powder whereas the panko variety is a Japanese innovation where the crumbs have been dried into small flakes.
    They make for crispy fried food when coated with them.
     

For cakes

  • 300 g fish off cuts, and or 300 of crabmeat.

    For the fish cake, I used the trimmings from squaring the Deep Sea Cod fillets which I used for making the fingers.
    For the crab cake, lump crab meat is preferred but this  can be hard to find.
     

  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs.
     

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise.
     

  • A dash of pepper, onion and garlic powders (to taste).
     

  • A dash of worcestershire sauce.
     

  • A squeeze of lemon juice.
     

  • A dash of salt (to taste).
     

  • 1 egg.
     

  • A handful of chopped chives, coriander (omit if not liked), and any other herbs which you like.
     

METHOD

 

Fish cakes

  • Dice the fish into small pieces.
     

  • Combine the fish or crab meat with the mayonnaise, egg, panko breadcrumbs, condiments, and herbs if used (I used chopped coriander and chives).
     

  • Check the consistency and stickiness of the mix: It should be fairly dry but will stick together without tending to fall apart.
    If too wet, add more breadcrumbs; if too dry add more mayonnaise.
     

  • Set the mixture aside for at least an hour or two in the refrigerator.
    This is important to allow the flavours to meld and for the breadcrumb, egg and mayonnaise work towards binding all the ingredients.
     

  • After that, take handfuls of the mix with wetted hands and form into balls of a size of your preference.
    You may form them into flat patties at this stage but you can also leave them round for later flattening into pattie shapes during frying.
     

  • Heat up a high smoke point cooking oil (I used peanut oil) to at least 180oC.
    The quantity should be enough to at least come to halfway up the side of the patties.
     

  • An optional step is to coat each pattie in panko breadcrumbs before frying in order to obtain a crusty/crispy skin on the patties.
     

  • Add the patties to the hot oil.
    Do not overcrowd the pan as this will lower the temperature of the oil too much - fry in batches.
     

  • Fry until golden brown or to your liking with flipping to brown both sides of the cakes.
     

  • Drain on paper towels.
     

Fish fingers

  • Square up your fish fillet so that when cutting it into fingers, the sizes are regular rectangles of roughly the same size and thickness.
    Reserve the off-cuts for other use such as fisg cakes.
     

  • Cut the fillet into fingers of a size to your preference.
    I made mine large.
    The sizes will determine cooking time.
     

  • Heat up a high smoke point cooking oil (I used peanut oil) to at least 180oC.
    The quantity should be enough to at least come to halfway up the side of the fish fingers.
     

  • Do these coating steps just before frying:
     

  • Coat each finger in seasoned plain flour, making sure that all surfaces are coated.
     

  • Let excess flour fall off and then dip the fingers into eggwash, making sure that all surfaces are coated.
     

  • Then dip each finger onto the panko breadcrumbs, making sure that all surfaces are coated and firmly so (tap the finger against the crumbs).
     

  • Let all the unattached crumbs fall away and then place the fingers in the oil at frying temperature.
     

  • Fry until golden brown or to your liking with flipping to brown both sides of the cakes.
     

  • Drain on paper towels.


ENJOY!

 

 


All my cooking (some without recipes) can be found here (click on each photo to go to that dish's page):

 

http://clemkuek.com/photoalbum/photo696.html

 

 

 

15 October 2024

 

www.clemkuek.com
 

 

Created by Clem Kuek