Fish cakes

I found some mystery fish in the freezer, in an unmarked bag, and being the daredevil I am, decided to make fish cakes. I hate fish cakes that are hard like hockey pucks and have no flavour. I left out the egg and breadcrumbs people usually put in the mixture, because the egg is just more protein (and who really needs that?) and I have a theory that both ingredients are to blame for most of the hard, firm texture in fish cakes. This recipe makes softer fish cakes, that still get a nice crispy outside when you cook them. Makes enough for 2 hungry people.

300g-ish of fish
1 medium potato
2 - 3 tablespoons natural yoghurt
2 - 3 tablespoons green herby things like parsley, chives, coriander.
2 cloves garlic
3 teaspoons polenta
salt and pepper
zest of 1 lemon


Cut the potato up into chunks, and microwave in a bowl for 4-5 minutes until soft. Pop the fish onto a baking tray lined with some baking paper, along with the garlic, and grill for the same amount of time, turning halfway through.


Throw your fish and potato into a large mixing bowl, and mash lightly (oxymoron? mashed enough that it mixes together, not mashed so much it's baby food) with a fork. Chop the garlic a little before you throw that in too. Finely chop your herbs, and add them to the bowl along with the lemon zest.


Now the make-it-up-as-you-go part. Add the yoghurt, and mix. Then, add the polenta 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture start to look firm enough to make into fish cakes.


Wet your hands with cold water. Grab a small handful of the mixture, shape into a ball, then flatten. Place each one onto a piece of baking paper while you work. If the mixture is too soft, just put it back in the bowl and add more polenta.


Leave your fish cakes to rest in the fridge for 15 minutes or so. This stops them from breaking up when you cook them. Heat a non-stick frying pan, and cook your fish cakes for 2-3 minutes on each side until nicely browned. All the ingredients in the fish cakes are already cooked, so it's just a matter of heating them up and making them crunchy. We ate ours with rocket salad out the garden, minted peas...and chips. Because we like a bit of decadence every now and then.