Teddy B and I had a busy weekend! On Saturday, we dropped off some dark chocolate chunk and pistachio cookies at my parents’ place and then headed to Shoup Park for a BYO picnic with friends. (I brought a bag of kibble and a tub of smoked salmon and snap pea pasta salad for us.)
And on Sunday, I prepared a refreshing Greek-style watermelon salad before meeting up with my family to celebrate Father’s Day. Teddy got to play with his cousins for the second time and explore new territory.
All this to say, I’m sharing a recipe for cod cakes with tartar sauce that I made a while ago. (I’d recommend any of the aforementioned culinary creations, by the way.) It’s easy to assemble and the finished product is exquisite. You can serve cod cakes with tartar sauce as a starter or alongside a green salad and chilled white wine for a light meal.
Recipes adapted from The New York Times and Natasha’s Kitchen.
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges, divided
- 1 pound skinless cod fillets
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, divided
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup finely diced dill pickle
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- ½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Fill a medium fry pan with about 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer. Add peppercorns, bay leaf, 1 lemon wedge and cod and simmer until fish flakes easily with a fork, 6-8 minutes. Transfer cod to a plate and set aside. Discard the water, peppercorns, bay leaf and lemon wedge.
- In the same fry pan, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature.
- Add eggs, 1½ tablespoons mayonnaise and next seven ingredients (Dijon mustard through parsley) to bowl with onion, celery and garlic; stir to combine.
- Flake prepared cod and add to bowl; stir gently to combine. Form mixture into 8 patties (about ½ cup each) and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Smear both sides of cod cakes with remaining 1½ tablespoons mayonnaise.
- Heat canola oil in a fry pan over high heat. Add cod cakes to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Serve with tartar sauce and remaining lemon wedges.
- In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients.
