- Yield: 12 fish cakes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Serving: For 4 People
Fish Cakes- Traditional Newfoundland
Hi welcome to our website!
If you are looking for our old fashion homemade fish cakes you are in the right place!
So sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy our short tutorial video!
These homemade savoury fish cakes are so delicious you will be making them all the time.
Frying your onions first before adding them to the recipe builds flavours.
Please continue to our recipe and please check out this link to our cookbooks before you go!
https://www.bonitaskitchen.com/cookbook
Ingredients
Instructions
Soak codfish over night.
Method:
Soak your salt codfish overnight, then drain off water. In medium boiler half full with
water, then add your fish, in another medium boiler half full with water, ½ tsp sea salt
( optional) ½ medium onion, then add your potatoes.
In a medium frying pan add 1 tsp butter, 1 tsp olive oil, melt then add ½ medium
chopped onion fry until golden brown.
When fish and potatoes are cooked drain off water. You will need a large bowl, add your
potatoes, sauté onion, savoury, egg, pepper then mash together. Before adding your fish
flake it apart with a fork make sure there are no bones in your fish. After you have all
your fish flaked add to your bowl, continue mashing to mix all your ingredients together.
In a small bowl add ½ cup of flour, then start scooping your mixture up with a ice cream
scoop, to make equal helpings. Form each scoop of fish mixture into a flat patty then roll
in your flour and put to the side on a plate until all your fish cakes have been made.
Preheat a medium frying pan, add 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp olive oil, put about four fish
cake in it and let fry until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes or so for each side.
This mixture makes 12 medium size fish cakes.
Bonita’s Tips:
If you only need to fry some of your fish cakes you can freeze the rest in freezer bags and
date them for another time.
Adding sea salt to the potato water helps equally season the potatoes before adding to the
mixture.
You can fry fat pork in little pieces with another medium chopped onion , this is called
scrunchins. This can be put over the top of your fish cakes.
Allergens
When making these delicious fish cakes you can fry them with fat pork fat, or olive oil and butter or even use margarine.
Years ago most people never had full access to butter and olive oil. In our days we have more access to smarter choices if you need to use it.
I believe you can still have delicious Traditional Newfoundland recipes, but make it your own by using ingredients that suits your diet.
So many Newfoundland recipes are the same, but they are made a little different, that’s why I love sharing these dishes with you.
I have included savoury in these fish cakes because that’s the way I always made them and the flavour is so amazing.
Some people likes to make fried fat pork, also called scrunchions with fried onions to go over your fish cakes. They will taste delicious anyway you make these fried fish cakes you will love them.
Thank you for all your delicious recipes. I am married to a Newfoundland’s and I have found your videos sooo helpful. I can’t thank you enough
Hi Tina, I’m so glad you visit our new website and that my recipes are helpful for you, now you can surprise your husband with recipes from Newfoundland. Thank you so much for your message. Bonita
For fish cakes do you mean summer savoury or just savoury that you use in stuffing the powdery kind
Anne marie
Hi Anne: Thank you for your message and for visiting our website. You can use one or the other, it don’t matter. Maybe the savoury we get here in Newfoundland you haven’t got access to it so use summer or winter savoury. Enjoy and have a lovely day. 🙂 Bonita
I meant a Newfoundlander
Can’t wait to try these fishcakes! I’ve viewed several of your videos and find them very helpful: ) Thanks
Hi Lisa: Thank you for your message and for visiting my channel, I’m glad you find my videos helpful for you. This is great enjoy the recipe for fish cake, my husband loves this one too. Bonita
After you cook them,,how long will they keep in the fridge?
Hi Janet: Thank you for your message and for visiting my website, when your cook them they are good in the fridge for two or three days. But if you like them longer freeze them in freezer bags and take them out when you like to have them, just warm them in the frying pan of microwave. Enjoy Bonita
How long after you cook them will they keep in the fridge?
can you use any other fish and if so would you cook the fish in water as well.
Thank you
Hi Suzanna: Thank you for your message and for visiting my website, to answer your question. Yes you can use a different fish if you can get access to a white fish, halibut any fish thats white, just cook it in a pot of salted water. When I say salted water just a 1/2 tsp of sea salt after the water is boiled then add the fish, always debone the fish before or after. If the fish you are using is already salted follow the institutions on this recipe to soak and cook. I hope this helps you and enjoy have a lovely day. Bonita
What are the best potatoes to use, and how far do you cook them down. Mine turned out a little mushy, otherwise delicious. Big hit here.
Hi Norma: Thank you for your message and I’m sorry I just noticed your message. You can use white potatoes and only cook them fork tender, then take them out and mash them and add the other ingredients. 🙂 Enjoy Bonita
I lived near Placentia Newfoundland for a year in the early 90’s and I fell in love with the people and the land. It felt like I was home again. I was thrilled to find your website and am excited to try out your recipes. Thank you so very much.
That is so wonderful Christine, I’m so glad you found our channel as well and thank you for taking the time to leave a message and letting us know. Our channel and website have been active now for almost 6 years. We have so many recipes available for you to enjoy, most Traditional and Non-Traditional Newfoundland and Labrador recipes but we do have some of mine, and some viewers requests as well. Enjoy and have a lovely day 🙂 Bonita
Hi, I was wondering if you mashed the half onion that you put in when the potatoes were boiling,when you mashed ?
Hi Gail: Thank you for your message and for visiting my website, yes you can mash the onion in with all of your mixture or toss it away if you don’t like to have it in with your meal. But it do taste lovely and it have boiled soft and easy to mash. Have a lovely Easter weekend. Bonita
We do love salt cod cakes and I had never thought of adding savoury. We traditionally serve them with tartar sauce made with dill pickles for supper; then enjoy the leftovers for breakfast with fried eggs.
That sounds lovely Susan, we use savoury on a lot of our recipes. It got that aroma that makes the meal come together and very enjoyable. I like your recipe as well and having the dipping homemade tartar sauce. Thank you once again for stopping by and enjoy our website to the fullest. 🙂 Bonita
I am planning to have a Newfoundland dinner using your fish cake recipe as the centerpiece. What sides would typically be served with this dinner? Thank you
Hi Marlene: Thank you for your message and for stopping by, here in Newfoundland and Labrador we usually serve these with a piece of homemade bread. But you serve them with mustard pickles and I have here our recipe for potato biscuits https://youtu.be/qj6YQcr1DcE you can have on the side, and you can also fry some sunny side up eggs. with a strong cup of tea 🙂 I hope this helps and enjoy, please follow up and let me know how they go over. 🙂 Bonita
Hello,
Just wanted to say that my late father made fish cakes the same way. I too love the summer savory in the fish cakes. We use to get just the savory at one time in NS, but now I can only find the summer savory which is delicious but not as strong as just savory.
Thank you, reading the recipe brought back memories of my father. I serve homemade beans (which was my late mother’s expertice)☺
Hi Cindy: Thank you for your message and for stopping by, I can’t believe you can’t get NL Savoury in Nova Scotia. The two taste a little different summer savoury and NL savoury, but when you can’t get one its nice to have the other to use. I’m so glad you enjoyed our recipe for fish cakes, this is a old recipe and one our elders would make often. It is so lovely how food brings back fond memories of our families and friends. God Bless and thank you 🙂 Bonita
Hi, I am from Florida and made these tonight with Alaskan cod, but have a question about “savoury” I assume it is a combination of herbs? Thank you and these were great!
Hi Shaw Lane: Thank you for your message and for making our recipe using Alaskan Cod, savoury is a herb/spice and its the same as sage, summer savoury, thyme, its available where they sell spices in the grocery store. But you can use one of the other choices, thyme or sage. Have a lovely day….Bonita
Hi Bonita! My partner is from Southport, Trinity Bay. This is the 2nd time I made these for him, and he loves them. The first time I found it was abit too moist, so today I used baking potatoes, and after draining them, I shook the pot to dry them. Turned out perfect! ? Thank you so much. Love all your recipes, especially the videos. From Wasaga Beach Ontario ?
Hi Maria: Thank you for your lovely message and for enjoying our channel and recipes, you did amazing by drying the potatoes in the pot and then mashing them. I always say the more you make anything the better you get doing it. So keep cooking and enjoy all our recipes to the fullest. Stay safe 🙂 Bonita
Hello Bonita! I love this website. My husband is a proud Newfoundlander and does not like Fish & Brewis, But will eat the fish cakes. Easy to make. My change up is that I use leftover bacon grease for frying. I have lots of recipes from his family members but am always finding new ones here. Thank you so much. Calgary AB
Hi Annmarie: Thank you so much for your lovely message and for stopping by, do you know Raymond my husband is the same. He loves fish cakes but don’t like fish and brewis. That is so funny because the only thing different is the hard bread in there. Frying them is bacon fat is good or you can use just butter and olive oil so they don’t burn. Thank you once again for stopping by and message any time you can’t find a recipe, I would love to help. 🙂 Bonita