There’s a tale here…. I went to the supermarket for kitchen roll a couple of days ago. I always scout out the various known discount areas and on this occasion the fresh Fish counter paid dividends. Pouting fillets at 73p a pack. I nobbled a couple of packs and trundled home. After a bit of Googling and discovering that they are a member of the Cod family I scuttled back and collected the remaining packs. Some are in the freezer for a rainy day, some went into these rather spectacular (Modest there?!) Fishcakes.

This is probably a recipe for amusement only, I can’t see anybody else being bothered to replicate it. But we thoughts we’d go the whole hog and have Fishcakes, Chips and Mushy Peas. Just like you’d get from a chippy wrapped in newspaper 30+ years ago, but pimped up a bit!

Ingredients:-

Potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
Pouting fillets
Milk, to poach the Fish
2 Eggs, beaten
Spring Onions, chopped
Capers
Cuttlefish Paste
Lemon Juice
A couple of Anchovies, mushed
Breadcrumbs, Gluten free Bread wuzzed up for us
Salt & Pepper
Oil to fry

Method:-

(1) Boil and mash the Potatoes and set aside to cool slightly.
(2) Poach the Fish in the Milk, remove and allow to cool sufficiently to handle.
(3) Tease the flakes away from the skin and remove any small bones.
(4) In a bowl mix all the ingredients excluding the Egg and Breadcrumbs.
(5) Form the mixture into Fishcakes.
(6) Press each one into Breadcrumbs so that there are coated on all sides.
(7) Dunk in the Egg Wash and then repeat the Breadcrumb coating.
(8) Place in the fridge on kitchen paper for an hour to set slightly.
(9) Heat Oil in a frying pan and fry on both sides until golden brown.

Pouting is our new friend. However even though I flaked the fish after poaching by hand, some small bones still made it past me. Maybe more to do with the Fishmongers skills than the species of fish…..