fish

south american fishcakes

servings
lots!

method

I learnt this recipe from my friend Santos, who comes from Brazil where they make little fritters of this recipe and deep-fry them – more like glorified canapés than fishcakes really. I’ve adapted his recipe slightly to make actual fishcakes – probably the nicest I’ve tasted! In Brazil they’re called ‘bolinho de bacalau’ and are made with salt cod, which is a wonderful fish to use if you can get hold of it. However, for this recipe I’ve simply used flaked white fish.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Place the haddock in a deep baking tray with the milk and bay leaves, then cover the tray with foil and cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in salted boiling water for about 15 minutes, until soft. Drain them in a colander to get rid of any excess water, then return to the pan on a low heat and mash.

Flake the cooked fish into a large bowl, picking out any bones and removing the skin. Add the mashed potato, parsley, mint, lemon and lime zest, fennels seeds, eggs and chili and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well, taste and add more salt if necessary.

Flour your work surface, then take 1 tablespoon of the mix in your hands with a little flour and pat it into a flattened circle, rolling it in the flour. Rough and ready is good, so don’t worry about having them all exactly the same!

Pour enough oil into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan to fill the pan about a third of the way up. Heat over a medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted into the oil reaches 185°C/360°F. (If you don’t have a thermometer, heat the oil until a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.) Deep-fry the fishcakes for about 5 minutes until brown and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with sea salt and serve on a large plate with lots of lemon halves.

• from Jamie's Dinners

ingredients

• 1kg haddock fillets, skin on, scaled and pinboned
• 140ml milk
• 2 bay leaves
• 1kg potatoes, peeled and diced
• a big bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• a handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
• zest of 2 lemons and 2 limes
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, bashed
• 2 large free-range or organic eggs
• 1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 115g plain flour
sunflower oil, for deep-frying
• lemons, to serve

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1. by Patricia on Thu 13 Oct 2011 @ 17:30

I have tried many of your recipes and I'll just say this: "absolutely delicious"

2. by Vera on Tue 23 Mar 2010 @ 13:10

Hello! I am also Portuguese and I have to say that this recipe is tradicionaly from Portugal, where the cod are the most used fish, but is a recipe exported many centuries ago to Brasil.
You just have to be carefull with the kind of potatoes you use( it can result in a disaster, they have to be fry-kind potatoes).
Also, this recipe is more similar to our Fish "Pataniscas", who is made with white flaky fish, but the diference is the potatoe, that we don´t use in this.

3. by Tiffany on Sat 24 Oct 2009 @ 03:31

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOU TO BITS JAMIE OLIVER!!! I COULD PUT YOU IN A FISH CAKE AND EAT YOU ALL UP!!!!COME TO HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA AND WE CAN MAKE FISH CAKES TOGETHER : )

4. by Simon Kirchner on Wed 30 Sep 2009 @ 06:39

Hello Jamie
I have always been a fan of your show's but never bothered to buy a book. Then someone emailed me a ripped off copy of one of your books (sorry) and I tried a few recipes out of and and since then have purchased every one of your books I can get my hands on. Your recipe's seem to suit the Aussie climate perfectly (as long as I can find a substitute for hard to find things such as some of your seafood) Anyway you are a fantastic chef and seem like a great bloke (although whats with the scooter? seriously - mate surely you can afford a Hayabusa?) Next time you are in Sydney come for a ride and a beer.

5. by kobi hagoel on Tue 14 Apr 2009 @ 16:10

Extra yummy .Thank you .If you ever pass by Israel you have a plate and a pillow.kobi

6. by Pamela on Tue 03 Mar 2009 @ 11:53

Hi Jamie!You don´t how delicious is the food in South America.I´m from Peru and we also have delicious things with fish and seafood.I hope you try to taste one day.

7. by Lauren.....x on Fri 30 Jan 2009 @ 10:18

How many is this supposed to serve?

8. by Shanny, shpraky & snappy on Wed 15 Oct 2008 @ 15:26

Now marra,
your fishcakes look very decrative, and owa dokney called shparky seems to love em :)
keep your good fishcakes up and your other resipes are cushty :)
could i posibly make it out of my gold fish called fanny flips
love ya xx

9. by robert stoneman on Sat 21 Jun 2008 @ 14:26

i am trying to make a bacalao,from memory it was potato, salted cod, onions mixed together can you help with a recipe please would be greatly appreciated

10. by Renata on Wed 11 Jun 2008 @ 20:20

It's actually a traditional portuguese dish - "bolinho de bacalhau" - but we love it anyway. You can find it everywhere, but the best ones are made by portuguese families. I'd like to try your version!

11. by pinky on Sun 08 Jun 2008 @ 08:00

jamie,

I just love the way you cook, all fresh, all healthy, and all yummy.

12. by Dave on Thu 05 Jun 2008 @ 12:51

Hi! I just love cooking and trying differant things to mix, i find you Jamie a bit like me when you prepare food quick, keep up the good work.
Dave.

13. by Emmanuel on Tue 03 Jun 2008 @ 09:50

you are the bomb

14. by Francoise on Wed 28 May 2008 @ 23:45

Thanks for everything, Jamie.

15. by Rammy on Thu 22 May 2008 @ 10:47

Omgggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg

I Luvvvvv Fish

16. by S.nunes on Wed 21 May 2008 @ 11:23

Hi Jamie love this recipe..You have added a real uniquiness to the Portuguese 'bolinho de bacalhau'. I am from Portugal and have been eat these small fish cakes all my life. I love them. But you are right they are more like a snack and not a meal. This recipe is great.

However i can comfirm that the Portuguese do not call this fish cake Bolinho de Bacalhau that is the name the Brazilians call it. We call the cake Pastel de bacalhau or Pasteis de Bacalhau.

If any one wants to find salted cod, go to you nearest Portuguese shop they will either have the cod or know where to buy it. I live in London and the best place to find them is in Camden in the Lisboa Cafe.
there are also in Woodgreen, Portubello Road, Vauxhall and many other places.

17. by andrea crawford on Wed 21 May 2008 @ 02:56

hey there i made good use of a large newzealand snapper and this was wonderful thank you jamie.

18. by Charlotte on Mon 19 May 2008 @ 12:43

Hi - does anyone know what I should do with a whole smoked makerel? help!!

19. by dave bullock on Mon 19 May 2008 @ 07:15

Next time your in WA. Australia would love to cook something up together,Love your shows and chow for now.

20. by Paula on Fri 16 May 2008 @ 13:46

Hey, Jamie! I'm from Brazil and yes, we really love "bolinho de bacalhau" around here. I have to say that I'm not so found of cod fish, but I really enjoy the "bolinhos". I'll try your recipe!

21. by adrian smith on Thu 15 May 2008 @ 20:05

hi jamie i was wondering how to cook shark how long etc and what herbs thanks

22. by Murni on Thu 15 May 2008 @ 17:57

Jamie, im a big fan of yours...you're so talented..you're so handsome and cute when you're in the kitchen...your wife is very lucky...by the way...im from malaysia..i've been watching your shows since i was 12 when i was in Hull, UK...that was 10 years ago...i love everything about you..u have a great taste in food...uhhh enough said...

23. by Antonettia Carvallo on Sun 11 May 2008 @ 10:52

O gully! verry dee-lish-us! My darters Miella and Mya and my sun Milleno luv eet so mush. I em frum Italia so my eengleesh not verry good. but i understarnd thees reecipee. goodbye meester Jamie Oliver. keep mayking dee-lish-us reecipees

24. by kunyoung on Thu 08 May 2008 @ 03:55

hi, jaime~

lovley ur cooking style..
i'm from korea.. nice meeting u this page.
u just wonderful. don't foget.. u keep fit urself..
i'm not so good as my English that i hope understanding from u. bye~

25. by jaime on Wed 07 May 2008 @ 19:52

from portugal to yes bolinhos de bacalhau rules...
portugal de best kitchen....

26. by paulo Carvalho on Tue 06 May 2008 @ 11:30

Hello! I am form Portugal and I confirm that the bolinhos de bacalhau are in fact a plate worshipped by us. Even better with a good beer at the end of the afternoon.

27. by Paulo Maia on Sun 04 May 2008 @ 17:53

I'm from Brazil and actually this is a dish made by the portuguese immigrants, they love cod fish. Actually the real name is Bolinho de Bacalhau, not Bacalau and it is very nice to have along with a good beer or a caipirinha.

28. by Jacqueline on Wed 02 Apr 2008 @ 08:38

Hi Lara, I just made this recipe when visiting family in Cape Town - I made it with Kingclip and it was delicious!

29. by Lara Berman on Mon 14 Jan 2008 @ 13:23

Looking forward to making this - looks perfect to bring for my boyfriend's family supper this friday! Will have to find substitute for fish - live in Cape Town, South Afica.

30. by Kate on Fri 11 Jan 2008 @ 22:42

your wicked!

31. by jo ann on Sun 23 Dec 2007 @ 05:54

can i make this using red snapper or any other fish?

32. by shoba on Thu 15 Nov 2007 @ 00:57

mate your the best!!!

33. by Maria on Mon 03 Sep 2007 @ 17:06

When I made this, my friend ate 10 big fish cakes, even the last two I had burnt! I think that's a good grade.

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