Looking for easy meal ideas this summer? Fishcakes and fritters fit the bill.
I am not sure what happened to my dragnet last summer, but when I inspected it recently I found it resembled two wooden poles protruding from the centre of a bird’s nest made from 20 to 30 metres of nylon fibre. I intend to spend a day untangling it, though, because it’s the only beach activity I know that rewards its participants with dinner. I hope to catch some paddle crabs, maybe a few sand flounder, and I will grapple through the sandy beds, tearing my fingernails harvesting tuatua and pipi.
These summer activities suggest the kind of inspirational and tasty seafood dishes that won’t keep me in the kitchen for long, because often the less you do to an ingredient the better it tastes. Fishcakes and fritters fall comfortably into that category. Chances are you will be eating them straight off the barbecue or off a plate precariously balanced on your knees.
This recipe is for an American-style crab cake that is creamily extravagant, rich and satisfying. Use a combination of yellow and red capsicums if you want a more colourful mixture.
Crab Cakes With Gherkin, Caper And Herb Mayonnaise Sauce
2 tsp olive oil
1 red capsicum, finely diced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
200ml cream
1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp chopped chives
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 egg, beaten
100g breadcrumbs
100g ground almonds
200g fish fillets, bones removed
200g cooked crabmeat
vegetable oil for frying
Heat the oil in a small frying pan, then lightly cook the capsicum and onion until soft. Add the cream and chilli, bring to a quick simmer, then turn off the heat and let the mixture cool completely. Stir in the herbs and season with the salt and cayenne pepper, then gently whisk in the egg. Combine the breadcrumbs and almonds in a bowl, then add half the mixture to the cream mixture. Put the other half aside. Put the fish into a food processor, then purée it until smooth. Add the crabmeat and the cream mixture, mixing until just combined. Shape into flat cakes 4-5cm in diameter and 1-2cm thick, then lightly coat them in the remaining breadcrumb and almond mixture. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat, then fry the cakes in shallow oil for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the cakes from the pan and serve with the gherkin, caper and herb mayonnaise, or lemon halves.
Serves 6.
Fresh herbs, abundant in summer, are the key to this fabulous mayonnaise dressing.
Gherkin, Caper And Herb Mayonnaise
300ml mayonnaise (store-bought is fine)
1 tbsp capers, thoroughly rinsed in cold water
2 tbsp gherkins, chopped finely
1 tsp chervil, roughly chopped
1 tsp parsley, roughly chopped
1 tsp tarragon, roughly chopped
1 tsp thyme, roughly chopped
2 anchovies
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pour the mayonnaise into a bowl. Chop the capers finely, then stir them into the mayonnaise with the gherkins and herbs. Using the flat side of a knife, flatten the anchovies on the edge of a chopping board until they form a smooth paste, then add to the dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
Makes enough for 6.
Long before Thai-inspired fishcakes became fashionable, there were the familiar “old-school” ones made with mashed potato and fish. To think of this style of fishcake as a way to use leftover mashed potato and previously cooked fish is to seriously misunderstand the fishcake. Certainly, in a perfect world these cakes should be purpose made, but there is something special about the way day-old mashed potato goes crispy when fried. They may not be as complex in flavour as their Asian counterpart, but they are wonderful to eat. They can be a bit rich, but the salted cucumber reduces that.
Fishcakes With Salted Cucumber And Crème Fraîche
500g starchy potatoes
200ml milk
500g groper, bluenose, moki or tarakihi
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley
zest of a lemon
2 anchovies, chopped finely
1 cup flour
1 telegraph cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 tbsp salt
100ml cooking oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
250g crème fraîche
Peel the potatoes and cut into 3cm cubes. Cook them in a saucepan of boiling salted water until they break apart when a fork is able to pierce them easily. Meanwhile, pour the milk into a large frying pan, add the fish, then gently simmer until tender. Drain the potatoes through a colander and return them to the saucepan. Place the saucepan over a low heat to steam for 3-5 minutes to evaporate any excess water, then mash.
Lift the cooked fish from the milk. Combine the fish with the potato, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley, zest and anchovies, then mix briskly without breaking up the flakes of fish too much. Coat your hands in the flour, then shape the mixture into flat cakes about 4-5cm in diameter and 1-2cm thick.
Cut the cucumber into matchsticks and sprinkle with salt. Place the cucumber in a sieve over a bowl to drain for 20 minutes, then tip into a teatowel and squeeze gently to remove any excess water. Set aside, discarding the liquid. Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan until the butter is foaming, then gently slide the fishcakes into the pan. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Serve topped with the cucumber and some crème fraîche.
Makes enough for 6-8.
Cockles are becoming easier to find, but if you are unable to find any, substitute tuatua, pipi or mussels. Don’t chop the meat too finely, though, as the fritters need texture.
Cockle Fritters
24 cockles
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup milk
½ cup cockle juice
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp chopped chives
salt and freshly ground black pepper
oil for frying
horseradish, to serve
Put a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over a medium heat, then steam the cockles open, reserving the juices. Remove the shells and chop the cockle meat. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, milk, cockle juice, eggs and chives. Gently stir in the cockle meat and lightly season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Fry tablespoonfuls of mixture until golden brown, then turn cook the other side. Remove from the pan and serve with a good dollop of horseradish sauce.
Makes enough for 6-8.