Fish Fridays

Over the past year Dave and I have been making an effort to eat less red meat; and, as Catholics, Fridays during Lent provides another opportunity to go meatless. Yesterday was my first attempt at making fish cakes. The recipe below was adapted from Yankee Magazine and I was surprised at how easy they were to make. The flavor is very subtle, so even if you are not a fan of seafood, I think that you will like this dish.

Fish Cakes

1 pound hake, cod or haddock fillet

1 large potato diced

1 tablespoon tartar sauce (mayo, relish or pickles, scallion, lemon juice - make extra to serve with fish)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 chopped scallions

1 teaspoon lemon vest

1 egg beaten

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

seasonings: salt, pepper, paprika, old bay

Oil for frying

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray glass pan with oil and bake fish until done (15-20 minutes). Boil water and cook potato until done; drain and leave in pot over low heat to dry. Mash potato with tartar sauce, lemon zest, scallions, salt, pepper and Old Bay seasoning. Add cooked fish and combine. In a separate bowl mix panko crumbs with paprika and parsley. Form into balls with floured hands; brush with egg, then roll in panko mixture. Flatten slightly and cook in oil over medium heat, about four minutes each side until golden brown. Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce. Makes about 10 - 12 cakes.