“When I ran Barefoot Contessa, my specialty-food store in East Hampton, NY, we sold thousands and thousands of crab cakes every summer. They were not only delicious, but they were also perfect for entertaining because you could simply reheat them before dinner and serve them with our creamy, vinegary remoulade. I still make them at home: I cook them early in the day so I can be out of the kitchen by the time my guests arrive. Recently, I revisited my old recipe and decided to update it with lobster, flaky codfish, lemon zest and crunchy panko crumbs. I was glad I did! The fish cakes turned out to be a wonderful twist on traditional crab cakes. To make them ahead, I prepare the Fish and Lobster Cakes, place them on a sheet pan, wrap them well and refrigerate for a few hours. Before we eat, I just put them in a 350 degrees F oven for 15 minutes. Everyone thinks I whipped up dinner right before they arrived!” says Ina.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 55 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 14 cakes |
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
- 1 1/2 cups (1/4- to 1/2-inch-diced) yellow onion
- 1 cup (1/4- to 1/2-inch-diced) celery
- 1 large Holland red bell pepper, cored, seeded and
- 1/4- to 1/2-inch-diced
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless cod fillets, cut into 4 pieces
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups panko (Japanese bread flakes), divided
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons good mayonnaise, such as Hellmann?s
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 pound cooked lobster meat, 1/2-inch-diced
- Good olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups good mayonnaise, such as Hellmann’s
- 6 tablespoons minced cornichons
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 3 tablespoons Champagne or white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Place the fish on top of the vegetables and add the cream, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 12 minutes (depending on the thickness of the cod), until the fish is just cooked. Set aside in the pan for 10 minutes, then flake the fish into large pieces with a fork.
- Put 2 cups of the panko in a large bowl. Add the cod mixture, including the cooking liquid, the dill, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest, eggs, lobster, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper and mix gently.
- Using a 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop as a measure, shape the mixture into 14 (3-inch) fish cakes. Place the remaining 2 cups of panko on a plate and coat the cakes all over, patting the coating to adhere. Wipe the saute pan clean with a paper towel and heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan over medium heat. Place 5 cakes in the pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side, until nicely browned on both sides. Transfer the cakes to a sheet pan and keep them warm in the oven for up to 15 minutes. Repeat, adding more butter and oil, until the entire mixture is cooked. Serve hot with the remoulade sauce.
- Remoulade Sauce: Place the mayonnaise, cornichons, mustard, vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times until the cornichons are finely chopped (not pureed). Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 14 servings |
| Calories | 424 |
| Total Fat | 34 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 15 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 13 g |
| Cholesterol | 105 mg |
| Sodium | 397 mg |
Reviews
I know people hate when you don’t follow the recipe exactly, but, I used leftover mahi mahi and shrimp for this recipe. Didn’t cook the fish with the vegetables, just flaked the cooked fish and added to the mixture. Husband loved it! This guy would never eat leftover fish but now I have a recipe that he will gladly eat. Ina G recipes are always yummy.
Was a hit with the family. Will definitely make it again
Ok, my apologies to the purists who think you can only rate the recipe if followed exactly. But – I am rating this 5 stars, largely due to the concept of poaching of the raw fish in cream. Brilliant. I’ve made cakes from a variety of leftover seafood for years, pretty much the same recipe format, and they were always good. But this took it over the top! If it matters, I used leftover smoked salmon and grilled cobia, and poached fresh salmon to add to my cakes. The best I’ve ever made – moist, rich and flavorful. Ina, I’ve followed you for decades and you never fail to amaze me.
These were fabulous! I didn’t have the lobster so I used only cod. Otherwise I followed the recipe as written. My husband said they were the best fish cakes he’s ever eaten. Served them with baby reds and cucumber salad. Thanks, Ina!