Pacific Cod Cake Appetizers with English Parsley Sauce

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WHAT'S WILD
Pacific cod is sustainably sourced lean protein, full of omega-3 fatty acids.

This Pacific Cod Cake Appetizers is a recipe inspired by my love of fish and my British heritage. Let’s hope that Brexit goes as smoothly as this flavorful dish at your next holiday cocktail party.

Pacific Cod Cake Appetizers with English Parsley Sauce

The pandemic has forced me to watch every single episode of all of my cooking shows… Master Chef (Seasons 1-10) and Top Chef (Seasons 1 – 17) at least 3 times each. I’ve seen everything from Dino’s squid ink pasta to Carrie’s Fancy Toast in the streets of Telluride. Seen it all… THRICE.

Imagine when last week I found the best cooking show of them all – Britain’s Best Home Cook. All the drama of other competition shows but with judges who are a whole lot nicer than Gordon Ramsay or Tom Colicchio. Mary Berry and Claudia Winkelman give hugs!

Pacific Cod Cake Appetizers with English Parsley Sauce

In one show elimination challenge, aka “The Eliminator,” they ask the contestants to make cod cakes. Usually, I associate fish cakes with being dry, but these looked moist and frankly delicious. I had to try to recreate the dish myself!


How to Make Pacific Cod Cake Appetizers with English Parsley Sauce

  1. Cook potato and mash.
  2. Melt butter and saute vegetables.
  3. Heat milk and poach cod.
  4. Mix together cod, potato, and vegetables.
  5. Form mixture into balls and chill for an hour.
  6. Heat oil in a frying pan and add cakes.
  7. Finish cakes in foil pouches at camp or in the oven at home.
  8. For the sauce, start with making a roux with butter and flour.
  9. Add milk and cream.
  10. Stir in parsley and lemon.
  11. Top cake with sauce, garnish and serve!

fresh cod on ice
Fresh Pacific Cod sold right off the back of the fish boat in Alaska.

I modified this dish to reflect more of the West Coast of the United States, highlighting beautiful Pacific cod fresh from the boat in Alaska.

Pacific cod is sustainably managed, responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations, and has one of the lowest carbon footprints. The meat is high in protein, low in fat, and high in Omega-3 fats. The best Alaskan fisherman freezes their catch at sea to capture more freshness, taste, and nutritional benefits. This fish has a mild flake texture, perfect to serve to those who do not eat a lot of fish in their diet.

Pacific Cod Cake Appetizers with English Parsley Sauce

Where to purchase Pacific Cod Online for Pacific Cod Cake Appetizers


If you are a bit particular about the shape of your cod cake appetizers, use a ring mold to get them uniform. Also, and this might seem a like odd, oil your hands before forming your cakes. This helps the ingredients not to stick to you.

Need other seafood app ideas for your next sophisticated camp-side gathering? Try these Sake Poached Oysters or Beer-Steamed Mussels in Green Curry Sauce. Leave a comment on how you made it special outside!

5 from 6 votes

Pacific Cod Cake Appetizers with English Parsley Sauce

Servings 12 people
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cakes…

  • 1 medium Russet potato chopped
  • 2 cups water
  • salt
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup onion minced
  • 1/4 cup celery finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup red pepper finely chopped
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 lemon sliced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 12 oz cod fillets
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

For the Sauce…

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 1/2 cup parsley chopped
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

For the Cakes…

  • Boil potatoes in salted water under tender. Drain and mash in a mixing bowl using a fork.
  • In a high-sided pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and pepper. Saute until fragrant and soft about 5-8 minutes. Scrape the cooked vegetables and their juice into the mixing bowl with potatoes.
  • In the same pan that your veggies were sauteed, add milk, fish, lemon slices, and bay leaf. Poach over low heat for 7-8 minutes until fish easily flakes apart. Remove from fish from milk. Flake apart into bite-size pieces and add to potato and vegetable mixture. Stir in panko and egg.
  • Form the mixture into 12 mini patties or balls. Place on a baking tray and chill for 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Heat olive oil in an oven-safe frying pan. Cook patties for 1-3 minutes on each side. Place pan in the oven and finish cooking for 6-10 minutes.

For the Sauce…

  • Over a stove, melt butter. Slowly stir in flour until a thick paste (or roux) forms.
  • Stir in milk and cream. Cook for a couple of minutes to let the sauce thicken. Add parsley and lemon juice. Season to taste.
  • Drizzle sauce over the mini cakes. Garnish with parsley sprigs or even a radish slice!

Notes

When making this dish outside, form the patties ahead of time and freeze. Thaw and skip the oven. Just cook in a frying pan with oil.  
Course: Appetizer, Condiment, Main Course
Cuisine: British
Keyword: Camp Stove, Fish, Seafood

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Tag @bewildeats on Instagram and hashtag it #bewildeats.

5 from 6 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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  1. Carolyn says:

    5 stars
    YUMMMMMMM!

  2. Fiona M. says:

    5 stars
    Easy to make and a delightful take on fish cakes. Highly recommended!

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