Cook Well for Less

Crispy Fishcakes

Turn the creamy fish filling reserved from Simple Fish Pie into six crisp fishcakes, served with peas for a distinct second dinner.

Prep
20 mins
Cook
30 mins
Total
50 mins
Difficulty
moderate
Serves
2
Illustration: Six crisp fishcakes with peas, one split to show its fish filling
Cook Well for Less · AI-generated pencil and watercolour illustration

Get ready

Ingredients for 2 portions

  • Approximately 450 g cooked fish filling reserved from Simple Fish Pie
  • 400g white potatoespeeled and cut into even pieces
  • 200 g frozen peas, to serve
  • 1 large eggbeaten
  • 2 slices breadtoasted until dry, cooled and crushed into breadcrumbs
Equipment
  • saucepan
  • colander
  • potato masher
  • large non-stick frying pan
  • three plates for coating
  • plate for chilling

Cook

Method

  1. Make a dry mash

    Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15–20 minutes until completely tender. Drain well, leave them to steam for a minute or two, then mash without adding milk or butter. Spread the mash on a large plate and leave it to cool until it is no longer warm before mixing.

    New to this?How to make good mashed potato

  2. Mix and shape

    Keep the reserved filling in the fridge until this step so it is thoroughly chilled. Put it in a bowl, then fold in the dry mash a few spoonfuls at a time, breaking up any very large fish pieces but keeping some texture. The mixture should be soft but should hold a mound on the spoon and keep its shape without slumping. Expect to use all 400 g potato. Add black pepper, then divide into six and shape into firm cakes with lightly floured hands.

  3. Adjust if needed

    If the mixture is too soft to shape, cover and chill the whole bowl for another 20–30 minutes. If it still slumps after chilling, mix in a little extra plain mashed potato, one spoonful at a time, rather than adding a large amount of flour. The exact moisture balance must be confirmed during cooking review.

  4. Chill

    Put the fishcakes on a plate, cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes so they become easier to coat and turn.

  5. Prepare the coating

    Put the flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs onto three separate plates. Dip each fishcake first in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, coating all sides.

  6. Cook the fishcakes

    Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the fishcakes for 4–5 minutes on each side, turning carefully, until crisp, golden and steaming hot throughout. Cook in two batches if the pan is crowded, adding a little more oil only if needed.

  7. Cook the peas and serve

    Cook the peas according to the packet instructions. Divide the six fishcakes and peas between two plates and serve straight away.

Start with another recipe

Where the saved food comes from

This recipe starts with food deliberately saved from another Cook Well for Less recipe. The ingredient list shows the amount this recipe expects.

  1. Illustration: Golden mashed-potato fish pie with white fish and peas visible through an open corner

    Make and save first

    Simple Fish Pie

    Make one generous batch of creamy fish filling and reserve roughly two-fifths — approximately 450 g — after the fish is fully cooked.

    Mix the reserved cooked fish filling with fluffy potato, shape six cakes, coat them with flour, egg and breadcrumbs, then fry until crisp and steaming hot.

    Start with Simple Fish Pie

For later

Storing and using leftovers

Storage

Keep the cooked reserved filling refrigerated and make the fishcakes within 48 hours of cooking the original filling. Once the fishcakes have reheated that filling, serve them immediately rather than cooling and reheating them again.

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