Jump to Recipe
Luxury smoked haddock fishcakes with fluffy potato in crispy breadcrumbs are the ultimate comfort food. Serve with the best homemade tartare sauce and enjoy for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. They're also handy to make in advance - either freeze or just reheat them baked in the oven.
Smoked Haddock Fishcakes - Great for Breakfast to Dinner!
These Scottish smoked haddock fishcakes might be a simple weekday supper, but they're great for breakfast or brunch and they dazzle as a recipe starter/appetizer among friends. When I've served minis of this in France at dinner parties, it has been a hit! They bring out a taste of Scotland, just like our famous Cullen Skink, the traditional soup also made with smoked haddock (or finnan haddie - see more on haddock).
What's more, it's great for cooking on a budget. Smoked haddock can be expensive but a little goes a long way mixed with the mashed potato. Either use less fish and up the quantity of potato if you prefer.
What is Haddock Called in France?
In case any of you here are living or staying in France on vacation and love cooking fish, haddock often gets lost in translation. For a start, the French call unsmoked haddock Eglefin.
However, smoked haddock is completely different. Eglefin fumé, perhaps? Nope. It's quite simply called Haddock! As the French never pronounce the "H", just say it with a French accent as 'addock. Et voilà. So there you 'ave it like Captain 'addock in Tintin.
Alas, to get a Finnan Haddie, the undyed smoked haddock, it's not that easy to find in France. It's more usual to find the dyed kind which is still really good. If possible, buy from a reputable fishmonger who sources sustainably.
How to Make Smoked Haddock Fishcakes
This recipe couldn't be easier. First gather all your ingredients, including floury potatoes. In France we use Bintje but elsewhere it's Maris Piper, King Edward, Desiree - for many more varieties, see the produce guide to Potatoes.
Cook the chopped potatoes in boiling salted water for about 10 minutesor until soft. Meanwhile cook the fish.
What is the Best Way to Cook Smoked Haddock?
The best way to cook smoked haddock is to poach it in milk/water. This should take no more than 10 minuteswith just enough liquid to cover up to ⅓ of the fish. Cook in a large pan with the lid on and add a bay leaf for extra flavour. Ensure you don't cook it for longer than 10 minutes - overcooking results in a rubbery fish!
Why do we poach it in milk? It brings out the fish's sweet fragrance and stops it from retracting while cooking. Here I used mainly milk mixed with a little water.
Remove from the liquid and set aside on a plate to cool. Remove the skin and flake the fish to ensure there are no bones. Drain the potatoes and set aside, still in the pan.
Mash the drained cooked potatoes in the pan, mixing in the mustard, 3 tablespoons of the poaching liquid (to add extra flavour) and finely chopped chives or parsley.
Season well then add the flaked fish.
Divide the fish mixture into small patty cakes (about 2.5cm/1 inch thick for starter/ appetizer size). This makes 8 large patties or 12 small.
Form into a shape then roll into the flour.
How do you keep the fishcakes from falling apart? The wet ingredients make the fishcakes easy to shape and won't fall apart - yet they're dry enough to make them easy to handle and shape.
What Breadcrumbs are Best for Making Fishcakes? My Tips!
Day old bread is ideal for making your own breadcrumbs to coat them. We either throw half a baguette into a blender - and often, if we have leftover bread, I'll blend it and place in the freezer until needed. This is ideal to avoid wastage.
Otherwise, our all-time favourite to make them extra crispy? Panko. You'll find them in any good Japanese or Asian supermarket - in Paris they're all around the Opéra area.
Prepare 2 bowls: one with the beaten egg and the other with breadcrumbs.
First dip the patties into the egg, then immediately cover in the breadcrumbs or panko.
In a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat,fry in batches in olive oil for 5 minutes on each side until golden. Press down slightly using a spatula just to ensure they're crispy all over.
Easy Recipe to Make in Advance
This is a handy recipe as these can be made in advance. Make your fishcakes earlier in the day, cool then re- heat in a warm oven for 10 minutes.
Can I Freeze Fishcakes?
These smoked haddock fishcakes freeze well for up to 3 months. Either freeze when coated in flour or fried in breadcrumbs and cooled. Place them openly on a baking sheet, freeze then transfer to well sealed containers.
N.B. Never freeze fish that has been pre-frozen.
What Is Best Served with Fishcakes?
The smokiness of the haddock fishcakes is delicious served with a wedge of lemon, a little side salad or with a few chives but what really makes it? Being served with the best homemade Tartar sauce made from scratch. It takes them to another level. Frankly, it's nothing like the ready-made tartare sauce bought in jars.
Alternatively, serve with cooked green vegetables such as oven-roasted asparagus or sautéed green beans.
Smoked Haddock Fishcakes
Jill Colonna
Easy recipe for fish cakes with smoked haddock, mixed with fluffy mashed potato in extra crispy breadcrumbs. Great comfort food for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner starter/appetizer or main.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Brunch, Light Lunch, Main Course, Starter
Cuisine British, Scottish
Servings 4 people
Calories 430 kcal
Ingredients
Smoked Haddock Fishcakes
- 500 g (18oz/ about 4 medium sized) floury potatoes (e.g. Maris Piper, Desiree, King Edward) roughly chopped
- 350 g (11oz/ 1 large fillet) smoked haddock or other smoked fish
- 1 bay leaf
- milk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped (or chives)
- 30 g (2 tbsp) plain all-purpose flour (or oat flour) to shape
Extra Crispy Breadcrumbs
- 1 egg organic
- 100 g (3.5oz/ 1 cup) breadcrumbs or Panko
- olive oil (or canola/rapeseed/colza oil)
Instructions
Smoked Haddock Fishcakes
Cook the chopped potatoes in boiling salted water for about 10 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside, still in the pan.
Meanwhile, poach the fish in milk/water* in a large pan with lid on for no more than 10 minutes (with just enough to cover up to ⅓ of the fish) with the bay leaf. Remove from the liquid and set aside on a plate to cool. Remove the skin and flake the fish to ensure there are no bones.
Mash the cooked potatoes in the pan, mixing in the mustard, 3 tablespoons of the poaching liquid and chopped parsley/chives. Season then add the flaked fish.
Divide the fish mixture with your hands and form into small patty cakes (about 2.5cm/1 inch thick depending if for a starter/appetizer or main). Lightly coat them in the flour. This should make 8 large or 12 small patties.
Extra crispy breadcrumbs/Panko
Prepare 2 bowls: one with the beaten egg and the other with breadcrumbs/panko. First dip the patties into the egg, then immediately cover in the breadcrumbs or panko.
In a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, fry in batches in olive oil for 5 minutes on each side until golden.
Keep them warm until ready to serve. Alternatively, make earlier in the day, cool then re- heat in a warm oven for 10 minutes.
Notes
To poach: either use milk or a mixture of milk and water. Adding milk brings out smoked haddock's sweet flavour and keeps the fish size intact without shrinking.
Quicker version: Fishcakes can be fried simply when coated in the plain flour (although not as crispy). So, if short on time, omit the breadcrumbs and egg stage.
How to freeze: fishcakes freeze well for up to 3 months. Either freeze when coated in flour or fried in breadcrumbs and cooled. Place them openly on a baking sheet, freeze then transfer to well sealed containers. N.B. Never freeze fish that has been pre-frozen.
To serve: best served with homemade Tartar sauce, a side salad, sautéed green beans, oven roasted asparagus, or just a wedge of lemon.
Nutrition (based on 2 patties @290g per person and in 50g olive oil): 28g protein; 44g carbohydrates; 16g lipids; glycemic index: 30.
Keyword recipe for fish cakes with smoked haddock, smoked haddock fishcakes
This recipe was first published on 1 February 2012 but is now completely updated as I previously talked about Captain Haddock and Tintin rather than the recipe! I have updated the recipe without the original capers and lemon, as it's already in the accompanying Tartar Sauce, now with its own recipe entry.
