Salt fish cakes are what happened when a thrifty outport cook looked at a piece of salt cod, a bowl of leftover potatoes and a crowd of hungry mouths. The fish was soaked and flaked, folded into the potatoes with a bit of onion, and fried in pork fat until the outsides turned golden and lacy. Every family had their own ratio of fish to potato — some liked it mostly fish, some mostly spud — and arguments about it are still settled at kitchen tables today.
What makes them great is that crispy, craggy crust giving way to a soft, savoury centre with little flakes of cod in every bite. They’re wonderful plain, but a drizzle of molasses is the traditional Newfoundland move, and a knob of butter melted on top never hurt anyone. Serve them for supper with baked beans, or for breakfast with fried eggs — they don’t care what time of day it is.
