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NORWAY HADDOCK HERBED FISH CAKES

The Scandinavian Kitchen
by Camilla Plum

The Scandinavians love all kinds offish cakes, often very simply spiced. These are different, however, as they are made more like a burger, using the gelatinous quality of the fish to make the cakes stick together, and including no other ingredients except fresh herbs and salt. Norway haddock, with its shellfish taste, is perfect for the task, but you can also use any member of the cod family, pike, or gray mullet.
Eat the fishcakes hot with herbed butter, potatoes with dill, and lemon wedges, or as a regular burger, with tomato, lettuce, and chervil cream.
Serves 4
 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb 10 oz Norway haddock fillets, skinned and boned
• 3 large handfuls of fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill, tarragon, chives, and chervil
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• Butter, for frying
 

DIRECTIONS

Make sure first that the fish contains absolutely no bones.

Chop the fish, herbs, and salt together on a board, using a heavy, wide-bladed knife.  No machine can do the job properly.  Chop away, but stop while the fish is still coarser than ground meat and is beginning to stick together.

With wet hands mold the fish into eight burgers. Melt the butter in a skillet until browned, then fry the fish cakes very slowly until they are just set, and browned on one side. Don't push them around the pan as they will disintegrate. Turn them over once and brown on the other side. They will need about 6 minutes altogether leave them too long and they will become dry.