Spicy-Sweet Creole Fish Cakes
serves 4
This is a great dish to make with leftover cooked fish such as baked fish Provencale. If you don't have any, just follow the instructions.
This recipe is part of Andrew Schloss's Sunday Dinners.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks fresh fennel, diced
1/2 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 plum tomatoes, diced (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
1 pound tilapia fillets
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon ketchup
2 scallions, white parts only, finely chopped
8 pieces leftover roasted garlic potatoes
1/2 bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely diced
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups Italian-style bread crumbs
2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
prep: 20 minutes
total: 55 minutes
large skillet or saucepan
large baking dish
1. Prepare the fish: Preheat the oven to 375F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan and sauté the onion and fennel until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the Herbes de Provence and garlic and cook 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes and stir until the tomatoes soften and release their moisture, about 3 minutes. Add the orange juice and basil and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
2. Meanwhile, rub the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Brush the remaining oil in a baking dish just large enough to hold the fish in a single layer. Arrange the fish in the dish and scatter the anchovies over the top. Spoon the sauce over the fish, enough to give it a nice coat (you may have some left over). Bake for 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes to gentle pressure. Break the fish into flakes and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise and the pepper sauce in a mixing bowl. Divide in half. Add the ketchup and scallions to 1 portion of the mayonnaise mixture and set aside.
4. When the fish is done, finely chop the reserved potatoes. Add potatoes, the bell pepper and fish to the second portion of mayonnaise and toss to combine.
5. Place the bread crumbs in a bowl. Form the fish cakes by scooping up a mound of the fish mixture with an ice cream scoop. Place the scoop of fish in the bread crumbs, sprinkle more crumbs over the fish, and carefully lift the crumb-coated cake in one hand. Pat into a burger shape using more crumbs to get an evenly crumbed surface. Repeat with the remaining fish mixture and crumbs. You should have 8 or 9 cakes.
6. Cook the fish cakes in 2 batches. Sauté the first batch in 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat until they are golden brown and heated through, about 4 minutes per side. If necessary, add the remaining oil to cook the second batch. Serve with the mayonnaise sauce.
































