Not So Old Fashioned Cod Cakes with Yogurt Lemon Dill Sauce

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 Cod cakes get and update from an old fashioned recipe with stone ground mustard, fresh parsley, green onions, and panko bread coating.

Cooked until golden brown. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Ahhhh Cod Cakes…. or fish cake? Old Fashioned Cod Cake? Not to be confused with the crab cake, which I absolutely adore unfortunately, due to a late onset allergy can no longer enjoy without the constant fear of a trip to the emergency room.  Alas, I must admit that I do enjoy a good ol’ batch of fish and chips and that is where Cod comes into play in my household.

Not being able to eat shellfish has been a bummer and one I am constantly trying to convince myself that I can when I know darn well I can’t. So, I will stick to Sushi and fish of the non-crustacean variety until the day I am magically able to enjoy shellfish again.

So, what is the old fashion Cod Cake all about?

Traditionally, old fashioned cod cakes are made with salt cod.  I find them to be scrumptious and undeniably flavorful.  However, I am not a patient person and soaking the salt cod in milk overnight then rinsing the cod fillets and changing the milk bath is something I just did not feel like doing this week, so, I used Icelandic Cod Fillets that were wild caught and have a nice flake to them.

I picked up a pound of cod and brought it home and immediately placed it into a container of ice.  Why? That’s the best way to store fresh fish if you aren’t using it right away.  Think of the meat counter or fish market that you purchased it from.  They don’t display the fish on ice for show, there is a reason behind it.

Let’s get this show on the road! Cod Cake prep – begin!

Since I needed to shred my cod fillet and I didn’t want to wrangle an entire fillet after poaching,  I cut the fillet into approximately 3″ pieces to make the work a little easier.

Cod Fillets portioned on baking sheet

I’m not entirely sure what happened but at the end of the day, I could not find the photo of the poached fish.  I have been fighting with my internet all day as there seems to have been an outage in the area.  It’s possible that my frustrated state had me skip this step entirely! I do apologize for that!  I used vegetable stock to poach the fish in then using two forks shredded the fish to medium flakes.

Once you have this complete, cover your fish and hold in the refrigerator. You will want the fish cooled prior to assembling your cod cakes.

Next; wash, peel, and cut your potatoes.  I used red potatoes for this particular recipe just because I am a big fan. You could easily use any potato you have on hand, however, I might stay away from yellow potatoes.  They tend to be a bit waxy.

Tip: When peeling and cutting potatoes, hold them in a bowl of cold water to prevent discoloration.

Peeled potato on cutting board with knife

At this point, you’ll want to either steam or boil your potatoes. Just cooking them enough as if you were going to make mashed potatoes.  I prefer to steam my potatoes. The result is a very flavorful potato that hasn’t been water logged. It’s a personal preference and If I was mashing these, I wouldn’t mind the additional moisture.  Since we will be drying the potato further to make the cod cake, steaming is probably the better option.

Potatoes steaming in steam basket with lid

Steaming the potatoes will take approximately 20 minutes, when ready place them on a sheet pan and into a 300-degree oven for about 15 minutes.  Just until the steam stops rising from them.

Steamed potatoes on baking sheet

With the small balde of a potato ricer and while the potatoes are still warm, press them through and leave on the sheet pan.  If you still find there is excessive moisture, blot dry with a paper towel and place in the refrigerator until thoroughly cooled. If you don’t have a potato ricer, you can use a food mill or roughly chop the potatoes to the same size as the cod.  I absolutely LOVE my ricer.

Baked steamed potatoes on baking sheet using potato ricer

Tip: Prepare onion and garlic mixture while potatoes are cooking to save time making this dish.

Start by dicing the onion and garlic into a small dice.

Onions and garlic on cutting board with knife - diced

Sweat the onion and garlic in butter until the onion turns translucent.  Usually, this takes anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes.  Once the onions have turned clear, place the mixture on a plate and spread out flat, evenly.  The onions and garlic will need to cool completely prior to mixing with the potato and cod for the cod cakes.

Onions and garlic sweating in pan

Once the cod flakes, riced potatoes, and onion/garlic mixture have cooled completely, you will want to combine your binding and flavor agents. Add the eggs, stone ground mustard, parsley, salt, pepper and green onions into a bowl.  Whisk to combine.

Dill, parsley, stone ground mustard and egg in bowl to be whisked

Place your cod flakes and potatoes into a bowl.  Pour the binding mixture in the bowl and gently combine until everything is well mixed and coated evenly. Having your ingredients cooled will help with the binding of the cod cake batter.

Cod Cakes batter being mixed together in bowl

Form the cod cakes and lightly coat them with panko bread crumbs. Cod cakes are about 3 inches round and 1 inch thick. I prefer panko for the cod cakes as I find regular bread crumbs tend to become soggy during the cooking process.  Panko remains crispy and gives the cod cake a much-needed texture. Once the cod cakes are formed and coated, rest on a baking tray.  You’ll want to keep these cold by leaving in the refrigerator until they are ready to fry.

Old Fashioned Cod Cakes formed and breaded on baking sheet

Preheat your skillet and add in 1/2″ of cooking oil of your choice.  Do not overcrowd the pan while frying the cod cakes to maintain even cooking and steady oil temperature.  When adding cold items to oil, the temperature can quickly reduce resulting in oil laden food instead of crisp, cooked food.  I’m sure you’ve had an eggroll that was nothing but grease when you bit into it…..okay, maybe that was just me but trust me, it’s not pleasant.

Old Fashioned Cod Cakes with Lemon Yogurt Dill Sauce

Fry the cod cakes 3 -4 minutes per side until cooked through.  Drain on paper towels and serve immediately or hold warm until you are ready to serve.

I served my cod cakes with a simple lemon-dill sauce.  1 cup of yogurt, 2 tablespoons fresh minced dill and 4 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon. Simple, bright and delicious.

Old Fashioned Cod Cakes with Lemon Yogurt Dill Sauce

These turned out beautiful! I will be making them again soon for an event I have coming up.  What’s great about cod cakes is they are a special treat that could be enjoyed for lunch, dinner or served as an appetizer. Simple flavors that deliver complex taste.

Have you tried cod cakes or another type of fish cake before?  I’m curious, what were they and how did you like them?

Live, Love, Eat!

xoxo

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Not So Old Fashioned Cod Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce

Updated old fashioned cod cakes with stone ground mustard, fresh parsley, green onions, and panko bread coating. Cooked until golden brown. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Prep Time50 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Seafood
Cuisine: Irish
Servings: 9
Author: Oven Struck

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Icelandic Cod Fillets
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 3 lbs red potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic diced
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons green onions
  • 3 tablespoons stone ground mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2-3 cups Cooking oil - enough for a 1/2 inch in your skillet

Yogurt Lemon Dill Sauce

  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 4 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon
  • 2 tablespoons fresh minced dill

Instructions

  • Start by portioning your cod into 3-inch sections and poach in the stock for 12 minutes. Remove fish from the poaching liquid and shred into medium flakes. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
  • Peel and cut in half potatoes. Remember to store in a bowl of cold water until ready to steam. Steam potatoes for 20 minutes or until a fork easily pierced the skin.
  • While potatoes are steaming, dice onion and garlic. Preheat skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Sweat the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Transfer to a plate and spread flat. Store in refrigerator until cooled completely.
  • Once potatoes have steamed, place onto a baking sheet and into a 300-degree oven for 10-15 minutes until steam stops rising. Using the small disc with a potato ricer, rice potatoes. Pat dry with a paper towel and refrigerate until completely cooled.
  • Once the potatoes and onion/garlic mixture has cooled, combine with the cod in a bowl.
  • Whisk eggs, mustard, parsley, green onion, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl and combine with cod mixture.
  • Form patties into 3 inch by 1-inch rounds and lightly coat in panko bread crumbs. Hold on a baking tray in the refrigerator until the oil is ready.
  • Heat your skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1/2-inch cooking oil into the pan. You'll know the oil is ready when the surface shimmers. Do not let it boil or smoke.
  • Add in cod cakes two to three at a time being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook 4 minutes on each side and let rest on paper towels once cooked.
  • While cod cakes are cooking, place remaining uncooked cakes in the refrigerator to keep cold.
  • Serve immediately or hold warm until you are ready to eat.

Yogurt Lemon Dill Sauce

  • Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Serve with Cod Cakes.
  • ENJOY!
0 from 23 Reviews

23 Comments

  • danasia fantastic

    This looks delicious! I’ve never had cod cakes, but I’d love to give them a try.

  • Ola

    I’m a salmon croquette girl, and I’ve never had a cod cake. I’ll have to add this to my list of recipes to try.

  • Isadora

    5 stars
    This seem to be a really easy recipe to make, gonna try this one. Sometimes I arrive late from work and we dont really want to eat anything heavy as we gonna sleep soon, so we normally make these fast and easy cake kind of food. Gonna add this recipe to my list!

  • Dalba Castrillon

    5 stars
    These made me so hungry! I love the step by step pictures, when it comes to learning a new recipe I am a visual learner!

  • robin Rue

    My dad is going to love these. I will make them for him the next time he comes over for dinner.

  • Aish Das-Padihari

    Beautiful pics. I make tuna fish cutlets often but I should try with cod as well.

  • Patricia @ Grab a Plate

    This looks delicious! I love cod, but haven’t made it in far too long! This is a great reminder, and a great recipe!

  • Tayler Morrell

    I’m always looking for something new and exciting recipe for fish. I’ll have to try this.

  • Marisa

    5 stars
    Wow those look good. I definitely am pinning this for later.

  • Krysten

    I would probably die if I got told that I had a shellfish allergy, it’s pretty much 1/2 of my diet. I could get behind these cod cakes, though, they look absolutely amazing.

  • eazynazy

    5 stars
    This looks mouth watering ….quick and easy…thanx ofr sharing

  • The Playful Parent

    Wow I’ve never had cod cakes only salmon and crab. These look great. I just got Orca Bay cod, my favorite company that sells sea food. I will try this recipe next week

  • Agentszerozerosetter

    This recipe is such a yummy and delicious idea!
    I have to try it!

  • Jay Simms

    Oh yum!! These look so amazing!! I am going to have to try this out asap!

  • Cynthia Nicoletti

    I have never had a cod cake. Does look similar to a crab or fish cake. Would try it thanks for sharing your recipe.

  • Wanderlust Vegans

    This looks like it would be delicious even without the fish! I love potatoes. I could eat them everyday… and sometimes I do!

  • Cameron

    These look so good! I’ll have to try them out!

  • Good Nelly

    5 stars
    Ummmm, it’s yumm. Will definitely try this out on this weekend. Thanks for the recipe.

  • Tescha Chetty

    You make this recipe look and sound amazingly delicious. I love the flavour cmbination. Ive neer eaten cod before and I sure will after readding this yummy recipe

  • blair villanueva

    5 stars
    This looks yummylicious and quite easy to prepare. Kids will live it too!

  • Di

    We called these fish cakes in england, they are available in all the chip shops nationwide. I’ve been interested in making a vegan version and found some vegan fish beleive it or not. now I can just use your recipe, substitute the cod for vegan fish and BOOM! Thanks!

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