Fish fritters (viskoekies)

This fishcake recipe is easy, quick and inexpensive. It is also quite versatile: we prefer salmon, but tuna works equally well, and you can experiment freely with the flavourings. You can serve it as nibbles, a light main course (this recipe is enough for two), or use it for patties next time you make fish burgers.

As an added bonus, most kids like these fish cakes, especially if they helped to make it.

Makes 10 fish cakes (enough for 2 main servings).

Ingredients

  • 210 gram tin salmon or tuna
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 thick slices of bread, crumbled
    or
    mashed potato for a gluten-free option
  • Oil for frying

  • Flavourings, according to taste:

  • 1 or 2 spring onion, chopped
  • Freshly chopped garden herbs such as basil, chives, dill, marjoram, parsley
  • ½ teaspoon (2 ml) Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ to 1 tablespoon tomato sauce
  • ½ to 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • ½ tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • Ground black pepper

Because canned fish tends to be salty, extra salt is usually not necessary.

Method

  1. Empty contents of the can (the fish and liquid) into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
  2. Break the eggs into the bowl and beat lightly with a fork to combine the whites and yolks.
  3. Add the flavourings, for instance spring onions, herbs, Worcestershire sauce,
  4. tomato sauce, sweet chilli sauce, and lemon juice.
  5. Crumb the bread. The easiest way is to use a food processor, or you can grate frozen bread.
  6. Add enough bread crumbs to make the mixture firm. You should be able to spoon it into the pan easily and the egg should not run from the edges of an uncooked patty.
  7. Heat a frying pan to medium temperature and add about 1 tablespoon cooking oil.
  8. Spoon a few patties into the pan. Fry for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown, firm, and cooked through.

Serve with tomato, tartare or a tangy sauce, freshly ground black pepper and lemon wedges.

Notes

You can make your own tangy sauce by combining 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of sweet chilli sauce.