Fiskekake

My husband is from Norway, and true to the stereotype, they eat a fair amount of fish. Hey, it's a stereotype for a reason.

We were visiting my mother-in-law who lives in Båtstø, south of Oslo in the Oslofjord, and she took us to this lovely little town called Holmsbu where we had the very best fishcakes I had ever eaten.

My husband and I have been striving to recreate the Holmsbu fishcakes, and while we haven't managed that feat just yet, we have created a very delicious alternative.



Not-Holmsbu-But-Still-Delicious Fiskekake

800g cod
2 cups mashed potatoes
handful of minced fresh chives
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil and butter for frying

Poach the fish until it flakes easily with a fork.
Combine the fish and mashed potatoes. The mixture should be relatively cool.
Mix in the egg, chives, salt, and pepper. Form into cakes.
Add olive oil and butter to a large frying pan, heat on medium high until bubbling.
Add the cakes and cook until brown and crispy on both sides.
Serve with Flavoured Mayonnaise, recipe below.

Now, we found that the first batch of these we did held together, but didn't hold their shape. They were absolutely delicious though. So we added a little potato flour in the second batch. These ones held their shape beautifully, but had a less pleasing taste and texture. The best compromise seems to be not adding it to the mixture itself, but dusting the cakes with some potato flour before frying to help maintain the shapea little.

Flavoured Mayonnaise

Seriously easy, and the sky's the limit in terms of flavours.

Take 2 tbsp of your favourite mayonnaise or Miracle Whip and add some flavourings.
I added chipotle Tabasco and cayenne pepper for my husband. We also tried Bicks Dill Pickle relish with fresh dillweed, which was a favourite for the kids. For myself, I added hot garlic  mustard and a little fresh dill. All of them were very tasty. Plus, the kids loved all the little bowls with different flavours to try on their fishcakes.

So while we still haven't managed the ever-elusive and incredibly yummy Holmsbu-style Fiskekake, these are definitely going on the repeat menu list.