The Thrifty Cookbook: 476 Ways to Eat Well With Leftovers (44 page)

The great thing about fishcakes is that they are
supposed
to be made with cold cooked fish so this is one recipe that doesn’t turn how do to things ‘properly’ on its head. If you have leftover mash, so much the better. If using fresh fish, you will need to poach it first – in a frying pan is easiest – with milk just to cover, a knob of butter, a couple of peppercorns and a bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer, cook for 2-3 minutes, till the fish flakes when prodded with a knife, then leave to cool. Remove the skin, break the flesh into flakes and check for bones.

I use tomato ketchup in fishcakes. This sounds a bit odd, I know, but it adds a lovely sweetness while binding the cakes together. You can leave it out if you like, and add a little beaten egg instead for binding. You could also add a drop or two of anchovy essence if you have it.

Serves 2

160g cooked fish (ideally white fish or salmon), flaked

160g mashed potato

1 tablespoon tomato ketchup

1 teaspoon English mustard

a little plain flour

oil for frying

salt and pepper

Put half the fish in a bowl with the potato, ketchup, mustard and some seasoning and mix until smooth. Gently fold in the rest of the fish. Mould the mixture into 2 round cakes, then chill for a good half hour.

Lightly dust the fishcakes with a little flour, shaking off any excess. Heat a tablespoon or so of oil in a frying pan and gently fry the cakes on both sides until crisp and turning golden.

Serve with rice or a fine pasta such as linguine, along with a salad or steamed greens, such as spinach, kale or broccoli. A home-made tomato sauce (see
page 36
) is lovely with fishcakes, as is bottled chilli dipping sauce or Chilli Jam (see
page 45
).

Add sorrel sauce
If you can lay your hands on sorrel, it adds a welcoming astringent note. Follow the instructions for White Sauce on
page 32
but replace the milk with fish stock and a glass of dry white wine. Finish it with a dollop of cream and chopped sorrel leaves.

Use cooked leftover rice
Replace the mash with an equal quantity of leftover rice, and the ketchup with a little beaten egg. Dip the cakes in the egg and roll them in finely blitzed breadcrumbs (or cornmeal or polenta) before frying.

Add grated hard cheese
A good handful of finely grated Parmesan or other hard cheese can be added to the mixture. Leave out the tomato ketchup and use beaten egg instead to bind.

Add fresh herbs
Chopped chives, a little dill or even finely sliced spring onions will perk up the flavour and add shards of green to the fishcakes.

Make a spicier mix
Leave out the ketchup and the mustard. Add % teaspoon of dried chilli flakes, a handful of finely chopped fresh coriander, a small grating of fresh ginger and a teaspoon of Thai fish sauce. Roll the cakes in fine breadcrumbs before frying. Serve with Chilli Jam (see
page 45
), or diced cucumber with a dipping sauce of rice wine vinegar, caster sugar and a little fresh chilli.

Make fishcakes with bulgar (cracked) wheat
Substitute 80g bulgar for the potato. Soak it in cold water for 15 minutes, then drain. Mix with the fish, a finely chopped small onion, some chopped fresh coriander or parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Shape into small balls or cakes and shallow-fry.

Cheat with tuna
Drain and flake a small can of tuna and mix it with a roughly equal quantity of mashed potato. Add a spoonful of toasted pine nuts, plenty of fresh herbs, a pinch of ground cinnamon and a scant squeeze of lemon juice. Dust with flour and cook as opposite.

I’ve been playing around with Marcella Hazan’s classic Italian meatball recipe from
The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
(Macmillan, 1992) for over a decade. Everyone loves them.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons milk

1 slice of bread, crusts removed (or 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
)

½ onion or 1 small shallot, finely chopped

about 450g leftover cooked beef, lamb, chicken or pork, fat and gristle removed, very finely chopped

a handful of parsley, finely chopped

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve

1 egg

breadcrumbs for coating

olive oil for frying

1 quantity of Quick Tomato Sauce (see
page 36
)

salt and pepper

Warm the milk a little in a pan or the microwave.

Soak the bread in the milk, then strain it, squeezing out most of the liquid.