027 / 75 · Fish Without Fuss

Canned Mackerel Fishcakes with Pea Dip

6 fishcakes and pea dip; 3 fishcakes and half the dip per serving · Active 35 min · Total 1 hr 50 min

Print recipe · PDF

Canned mackerel and potato become fishcakes when the mash is dry enough to hold a shape. These are substantial patties with a thin breadcrumb coating and a separate pea-yogurt dip. The method includes a refrigerator pause before frying; it is not a shortcut to skip when the mixture feels soft. Skins stay on the scrubbed potatoes, leaving small flecks in the mash.

Jump to ingredients

Original hand-drawn illustration of canned mackerel fishcakes with pea dip.

Steam-dry before mashing

Boiled potato carries water on its surface as well as inside. Drain well and return the pan briefly to low heat, shaking gently, until visible surface moisture has gone. Mash without milk or butter. Adding a splash to make ordinary creamy mash would make this fishcake mixture harder to handle. Let the mash cool in a shallow layer before mixing in egg. Canned mackerel is already cooked; drain it, flake it and mash any soft edible bones, removing firm fragments. The weighed fish is the drained portion rather than the unopened tin weight.

Chill, coat and turn with space

Plain dry crumbs go both inside the mixture and on its surface, so measure the two amounts separately. Make six equal patties and chill them on a plate while preparing the dip. A broad spatula supports the whole cake when it turns. Three at a time gives room to work in an ordinary skillet; squeezing in the whole batch can damage the edges. Keep the first batch hot in a low oven while the second cooks, using a clean tray rather than the raw-egg preparation plate. The centers need to be hot through at 165°F/74°C. The peas are boiled and drained before blending with cold yogurt, lemon and dill. Serve the dip cool or just warm, and do not let it sit unrefrigerated while the fishcakes are stored for another day.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut in 3 cm/1 1/4-inch chunks (400 g raw, skin on)
  • 4 cups drinking water (1 litre), for boiling and draining potatoes
  • Canned jack mackerel, well drained and flaked (200 g edible)
  • 1 large egg (50 g edible contents)
  • About 1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs (55 g), divided: 30 g mixture and 25 g coating
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml/about 13.5 g), divided between two batches
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen green peas (200 g), unthawed
  • 2 cups drinking water (500 ml), for boiling and draining peas
  • Scant 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (100 g)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml/about 15 g)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill (5 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (0.3 g)

Set out

2-litre/2-quart saucepan, Sieve, Potato masher, Shallow cooling dish, Mixing bowl, Kitchen scale, Refrigerator, 28 cm/11-inch nonstick skillet, Broad spatula, Food thermometer, Blender or small processor, Oven and clean heatproof tray

Allergens

Fish, Egg, Milk, Wheat; check breadcrumbs for other allergens. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Boil potatoes in their water for 15–20 minutes until tender. Drain and return to low heat for 1–2 minutes, shaking, to remove surface moisture. Mash skins and all without added liquid. Spread in a shallow dish and refrigerate promptly for about 15 minutes until no longer warm.
  2. Mix the cooled mash with drained mackerel, egg, 30 g breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Divide into 6 equal patties about 8 cm/3 inches across and 1.5–2 cm/5/8–3/4 inch thick. Press the measured 25 g coating crumbs over both faces. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Wash hands and clean the raw-egg utensils.
  3. Boil peas in their water for the packet time, usually 3–5 minutes, until tender; drain. Blend with yogurt, lemon and dill into a thick dip. Refrigerate until serving. Heat oven to 250°F/120°C and set out a clean heatproof tray.
  4. Heat half the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Cook 3 fishcakes for about 6–7 minutes per side, turning carefully once, until browned and their centers reach 165°F/74°C. Transfer to the clean tray and keep hot in the oven while cooking the remaining 3 with the other half of the oil.
  5. Serve each person 3 hot fishcakes with half the pea dip. Keep the first batch at 140°F/60°C or above during its short hold and serve as soon as the second is ready.

A useful kitchen skill

Notice the difference between dry mashed potato for shaping and creamy mash for eating by itself. Extra liquid changes the structural job of the potato.

A useful detail

The 110-minute total includes potato cooking, cooling, a 20-minute formed-cake chill and two skillet batches. Do not replace the dry mash with leftover buttery mash and expect the same binding or estimate.

Another way

  • Replace mackerel with 200 g drained boneless canned pink salmon and calculate for salmon.
  • Use 5 g parsley instead of dill in the pea dip for a different herb finish.

Keep it well

Refrigerate cooked fishcakes and dip separately in shallow containers at 40°F/4°C or below within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Use within 2 days or the shorter yogurt deadline. Reheat fishcakes to 165°F/74°C throughout; keep the dip cold. Do not reuse a plate that held the uncooked egg mixture for cooked cakes.