New England Cod Cakes

Total Time: 25 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 lb salt cod fish or 1 lb fresh cod, cooked and flaked
• 1 1/2 lbs yukon gold potatoes or 1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes
• 1/3-1/2 cup chopped onions or 1/3-1/2 cup scallion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons soft butter, plus extra for frying
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne (optional)
• chopped herbs (such as parsley or dill) (optional)

Recipe

• 1 if using salt cod: soak salt cod in a large volume of water in the refrigerator for 12 - 24 hours. change water several times. place fillet into a 3 -4 quart sauce pan with a large volume of water, bring to a boil and turn heat down so that liquid is simmering. cook for 10 minutes, remove from heat and leave in water for 10 – 15 minutes. rinse under cold water and break into flakes.
• 2 boil potatoes in salted water until done, drain and return to pan over moderate heat for 2-3 minutes to evaporate excess moisture. mash as for mashed potatoes and keep warm. saute onions or scallions in a small amount of butter until soft.
• 3 mix fish, potatoes, butter and onions to- gether using a fork, then mix in eggs, mus- tard, pepper and herbs, if using.
• 4 form the mixture into cakes and refrigerate for up to 6 hours if not cooking immediately.
• 5 heat enough butter to coat a frying pan, preferably non stick, and cook over medium heat until each side is well browned and the cakes are heated through.
• 6 serve immediately with slices of lemon, tarter sauce or mayonnaise mixed with lemon juice and capers. smaller cakes can be served as a first course, while larger cakes, served with salad and bread, make a great lunch or light dinner.