Maritime fish cakes bring together salt cod and potatoes in a familiar Atlantic Canadian home-cooking tradition, with regional and household variations. This version uses dried salt cod, onion and summer savoury, then pan-fries the cakes until crisp. Serve them with green tomato chow-chow or baked beans if you like. Fresh haddock or cod cakes are another regional approach, but this recipe is specifically built around salt cod.
Parks Canada records dried-cod fishcakes at the Canso Islands in Nova Scotia, while contemporary Nova Scotia recipes show differences in herbs, binders and accompaniments. This home version keeps the salt-cod-and-potato base, adds summer savoury and uses egg and breadcrumbs to help the patties hold together. It represents one Maritime-style preparation, not a single formula shared by every Atlantic community.
Desalt the codCover the salt cod with cold water in a covered bowl and refrigerate for 6 hours, changing the water twice. Drain and rinse the fish; discard all soaking water.
Poach and flakePut the cod in a saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring just to a simmer and poach until it flakes and reaches at least 70°C at the thickest part, about 8–12 minutes. Drain, cool briefly, then flake it and remove any skin or bones.
Cook the potatoes and onionMeanwhile, boil the potatoes in unsalted water until tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain very well and mash. Heat 5 ml of the measured oil in a small skillet and sauté the onion until soft, about 5 minutes.
Mix and shapeFold the onion, summer savoury, pepper, egg and breadcrumbs into the potatoes. Gently fold in the cod flakes. Divide into 16 equal portions and shape into cakes about 1.5 cm thick. Dust them lightly with flour.
Pan-fryHeat a thin layer of the remaining oil in a heavy frying pan over medium heat. Fry the cakes in batches for 3–4 minutes per side, adding oil as needed, until crisp and golden. Check several centres with a clean thermometer; each cake must reach 74°C because the mixture contains egg. Serve hot.
The six-hour soak is passive time, so you can start it the evening before cooking. Salt cod varies in saltiness; taste a small cooked flake before mixing, but do not add salt until you have tasted a finished cake. For a separate fresh-fish variation, use cooked flaked haddock or cod instead of salt cod and season it lightly; the result will be less salty and the nutrition estimate will differ. Serve with chow-chow, baked beans or a crisp salad.
Cool cooked cakes promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours at 4°C or below. Use within 2–3 days or freeze. Reheat to 74°C.
Rounded estimate for two cakes using generic food-composition data. The amount of sodium remaining depends strongly on the salt cod and how much salt is removed during soaking and poaching. The estimate assumes roughly 30 ml of the 60 ml pan-frying oil is retained.
Contains cod (fish), egg and wheat/gluten in the breadcrumbs and flour. Check packaged ingredients for other allergens or cross-contact. Keep the salt cod refrigerated at 4°C or below while soaking, discard the soak water, and cook the fish to at least 70°C before flaking. Wash hands and clean utensils and surfaces after handling fish. Cook the patties to 74°C at the centre because they contain egg. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours at 4°C or below and use within 2–3 days or freeze; reheat to 74°C.
Yes, but that makes a different, less salty variation. Cook fresh cod or haddock until it flakes and reaches 70°C, then use it in place of the salt cod. The salt-cod soak is not needed, and the nutrition—especially sodium—will change.
