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Fish Cakes

Classic Maritime fish cake recipe with salt cod and fluffy potato, fried crisp and golden brown. Authentic Acadian comfort food from the Atlantic coast.

⏱ 15 minPrep time
🔥 30 minCook time
🍽 4Servings
🏷 DessertCategory
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Golden pan-fried salt cod fish cakes with lemon

Fish cakes are the great Acadian invention of making a little fish feed a lot of people. Salt cod — preserved, traded and carried to every shore — was flaked into a bowl of mashed potato, shaped into patties, and fried in a heavy pan, stretching a precious catch into a full family meal.

Done right, a fish cake has a crackling crust that gives way to a soft, savoury centre perfumed with onion. They are the taste of Lenten Fridays and big Sunday breakfasts alike, and a bottle of ketchup is the only garnish worth arguing about.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Rinse the salt cod under cold water, then soak it in a bowl of cold water in the fridge overnight, changing the water once or twice.
  2. Drain the cod, place it in a pot with fresh water, and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes until it flakes easily, then drain and let cool.
  3. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, drain, and mash them with the butter until smooth.
  4. Flake the cooled cod into the mashed potatoes and stir in the onion, egg, flour, salt and pepper until well combined.
  5. Shape the mixture into 8 thick patties and chill them for at least 30 minutes so they hold their shape.
  6. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and fry the cakes for 4 to 5 minutes per side until deep golden brown.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Do not skip the chill time — cold cakes hold together beautifully in the pan. If your cod is very salty, soak it a little longer and taste the mixture before adding any extra salt.

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Recipe details

Prep15 min
Cook30 min
Servings4
CategoryDessert
PublishedAugust 17, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →