This recipe for smoked haddock fishcakes with warm tartare sauce is actually from two different recipes. When I was off on furlough from mid April last year due to the COVID 19 pandemic, one programme we enjoyed watching was James Martin’s Islands to Highlands - it's actually made us want to explore the UK more...when we're allowed to travel properly again! So, the warm tartare sauce is taken from his recipe for cod with warm tartare sauce and oyster fritters from season 1 episode 2. We decided to pair the sauce with smoked haddock fishcakes, with a recipe from the Delicious magazine.
We both really like tartare sauce with fishcakes, so when we saw James Martin making his warm tartare sauce, we decided it was definitely worth a try...and we weren't disappointed - it's delicious.
The fishcakes are lovely and soft and smokey on the inside with a lovely crust and the warm tartare sauce compliments them perfectly with the capers and lemon in both.
As well as being the baker and burger maker...David's also the fishcake maker in our house. I can't be trusted with them...they tend to fall apart with me and I lose my patience!! So, making this recipe is a joint effort...David makes the smoked haddock fishcakes, and I make the warm tartare sauce.
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Tips
- The fishcakes can be made the day before and chilled in the fridge overnight.
- Both the fishcakes and sauce can be halved if making for less people.
- The fishcakes can be frozen once they have been shaped (step 3). I laid them flat in a sandwich/freezer bag on a layer of baking paper. When defrosting, please note that the baking paper will end up quite wet from the process. Once defrosted, I removed them from the bag onto a plate with kitchen roll and patted the tops dry with more kitchen roll. I then refreshed the kitchen roll they were sitting on and put them back in the fridge to firm up a bit. They will be quite soft and delicate, so you may need to reshape them before dusting in flour and cooking them (step 5).
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Ingredients
For the fishcakes:
- 600g potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- 400g undyed smoked haddock fillet
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp capers, drained and chopped
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- small handful chopped fresh parsley
- 1 medium egg yolk
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- plain flour, for dusting
- lemon wedges, to serve
- green vegetables of your choice, to serve (optional)
For the warm tartare sauce:
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 200ml double cream – we use Elmlea to reduce the calories
- 4 tbsp fresh or good-quality mayonnaise
- 8 cornichons, diced
- 2 tsp capers
- a few sprigs of dill and parsley, chopped
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the fishcakes:
- Cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Drain well, mash and set aside, covered.
- Meanwhile, preheat the grill to medium high. Put the haddock in a roasting tin and brush with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Grill for 8 to 10 minutes or until just cooked through. Set aside to cool, then discard the skin and bones and flake into chunks.
- Gently fold the fish, capers, lemon zest, parsley and egg yolk into the mash, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Shape the mixture into 8 fishcakes and cover and chill for 20 minutes or overnight.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce and keep it warm on a low heat while you fry the fishcakes.
- Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Dust the fishcakes with a little flour and fry for 3 to 4 minutes each side, until golden.
For the sauce:
- Heat the oil for the sauce in a small saucepan over a medium heat, then add the shallot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until just softened. Add the cream and bring it to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and stir in the mayonnaise, cornichons, capers, chopped herbs and lemon juice. Season to taste.
- To serve, spoon the sauce between 4 serving plates, then top with 2 fishcakes per person and some green vegetables of your choice on the side (optional).
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Smoked Haddock Fishcakes with Warm Tartare Sauce
Ingredients
For the fishcakes:
- 600g potatoes peeled and roughly chopped
- 400g undyed smoked haddock fillet
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp capers drained and chopped
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- small handful chopped fresh parsley
- 1 medium egg yolk
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- plain flour for dusting
- lemon wedges to serve
- green vegetables of your choice to serve (optional)
For the warm tartare sauce:
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 200ml double cream we use Elmlea to reduce the calories
- 4 tbsp fresh or good-quality mayonnaise
- 8 cornichons diced
- 2 tsp capers
- a few sprigs of dill and parsley chopped
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the fishcakes:
- Cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Drain well, mash and set aside, covered.
- Meanwhile, preheat the grill to medium high. Put the haddock in a roasting tin and brush with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Grill for 8 to 10 minutes or until just cooked through. Set aside to cool, then discard the skin and bones and flake into chunks.
- Gently fold the fish, capers, lemon zest, parsley and egg yolk into the mash, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Shape the mixture into 8 fishcakes and cover and chill for 20 minutes or overnight.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce and keep it warm on a low heat while you fry the fishcakes.
- Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Dust the fishcakes with a little flour and fry for 3 to 4 minutes each side, until golden.
For the sauce:
- Heat the oil for the sauce in a small saucepan over a medium heat, then add the shallot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until just softened. Add the cream and bring it to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and stir in the mayonnaise, cornichons, capers, chopped herbs and lemon juice. Season to taste.
- To serve, spoon the sauce between 4 serving plates, then top with 2 fishcakes per person and some green vegetables of your choice on the side (optional).
Notes
- The fishcakes can be made the day before and chilled in the fridge overnight.
- Both the fishcakes and sauce can be halved if making for less people.
- The fishcakes can be frozen once they have been shaped (step 3). I laid them flat in a sandwich/freezer bag on a layer of baking paper. When defrosting, please note that the baking paper will end up quite wet from the process. Once defrosted, I removed them from the bag onto a plate with kitchen roll and patted the tops dry with more kitchen roll. I then refreshed the kitchen roll they were sitting on and put them back in the fridge to firm up a bit. They will be quite soft and delicate, so you may need to reshape them before dusting in flour and cooking them (step 5).
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