Fish Cakes

A Recipe Made from Leftovers

"Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of those who are poor and hungry." Pope Francis

This recipe was born from leftover fish my family had. And since then i have been making fish cakes as a way to repurpose and use leftovers in a new and a delicious way. Think outside the box when it comes to leftovers. Although reheating leftovers and eating them as is just delicious but its even more exciting when you can recreate a whole new dish using your leftovers.

Cutting food waste is a delicious way not only for saving money but help feed the world and protect our planet. Get your children involved in the process, have them help you create ideas and recreate dishes. Use it as an opportunity to educate them about food waste, our planet and the people who are living in it.

  • Total time: 45-60 minutes

  • Serves: 10-12 burger size cakes

Ingredients

  • .5 pounds white fish fillets about 4-5 fillets .. salmon would be great here too

  • 1 tbls olive oil to cook fish additional 3-4 tbls of olive oil to fry the patties

  • 1 cup small diced fennel

  • 1 tbsp capers drained

  • 3 celery stalks diced small

  • 1 small purple onion chopped

  • 1 tsp cumin

  • 1 tsp coriander

  • 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)

  • 1 cup AP flour

  • 1/2 cup toum (garlic paste) or a good quality mayonnaise then add 2 minced garlic cloves. If your fish is still dry and doesn't hold its shape add more 1 tbls at a time

  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

  • Salt and pepper

Simple Lemon Aioli :

  • 4 tbsp mayonnaise

  • juice of half a lemon (Add more to adjust to your taste)

  • zest of a lemon

  • 1 garlic clove minced

  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Steps

  1. To make the ailoli, add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.

  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place fish on a sheet pan Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake the fish for 15-20 minutes until just cooked through Remove from the oven and let it cook completely.

  3. Place the flour in a dish (this is just to drench the fish cakes it will help create a nice crust).

  4. Flake the cooled fish into a mixing bowl. Add all the flavorings and mix well. Cover with foil or saran wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

  5. Shape into 10 (2 1/2 to 3-ounce) cakes. Make sure that your fish cakes hold together when you form your patties if they don’t add more mayo. Adding two eggs as a binding is an option but I stick to just toum or mayo or a combo of both.

  6. Dredge both sides of the fish cakes in the flour and shake off excess.

  7. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook patties for 3-4 minutes on each side or until warmed through and develop a nice crust (remember your fish is already cooked).

  8. Drain fish cakes on paper towels. Serve hot or room temp with aioli or toum.