Fish Cakes

Really, this recipe is called Lemon-Parsley Fish Cakes. But as you might recall, I'm not a fan of fresh parsley. And calling them Lemon Fish Cakes would be weird. Who wants to eat fish that has equal parts lemon? (It doesn't, but that's what the name implies.) So we'll just call it Fish Cakes, nice and simple.

Fish Cakes

1 lb fresh white fish, such as pollock or cod

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

6 tbsp breadcrumbs

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

coarse salt and ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place fish in baking dish; rub with 1 tbsp oil. Roast fish in the oven until cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely, then pat dry with paper towels. Flake with fork.

2. In a large bowl, combine fish, egg, scallions, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix gently until ingredients just hold together. Form mixture into eight equal-sized patties.

3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, nonstick skillet oven medium heat. Cook cakes until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Serve hot.

4. Before cooking, cakes can also be frozen for later use. Freeze on a baking sheet until firm, then wrap each in plastic and store in resealable freezer bags, up to one month. Thaw before cooking and follow step #3.

The Verdict: Light and tasty! Each of us liked them.

I think my favorite part of them is the hint of Dijon mustard. The fish itself is mild, so that slight kick really works to add some pizazz.

The only part about this recipe, and I'm willing to guess it isn't the recipe exactly as I've made these before, was that they fell apart. The three in the photo you see are the three that made it in one piece. I think the others fell apart because of a number of reasons, including adding them to the pan before it was hot enough and crowding them together. Both no-nos. I also need a new skillet. Ah, how ironic. I blog constantly about food and recipes, yet have sub-par cookery.

These would be great with a spinach salad. We had ours with sliced cucumbers and homemade hummus. That recipe to follow...and it's a keeper!