Tender, pan-fried cod cakes simmered in a warmly spiced tomato sauce make a wonderfully flavorful fish dinner for two. Inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi's Sephardic-style cod cakes, these delicate fish cakes are seasoned with cumin, coriander, parsley and garlic, then gently finished in a rich tomato sauce with white wine, paprika and fresh mint.
If you think a fish cake means mashed potatoes, flaked fish and a crunchy breadcrumb coating, let me introduce you to a completely different kind of fish cake.
These cod cakes are made with fresh fish, panko, egg, herbs and warm Middle Eastern spices. They are pan-fried just long enough to develop a golden crust, then nestled into a fragrant tomato sauce where they gently finish cooking.
The result is a tender, almost delicate fish cake that soaks up all that wonderful sauce.
And because this is Our Table 4•2 by Pam, I've scaled the recipe for two.
Why you'll love these cod cakes
- They are packed with fresh fish. There is no mashed potato filler to stretch the fish.
- The seasoning is anything but ordinary. Cumin, coriander, garlic and fresh herbs give these fish cakes layers of flavor.
- The tomato sauce does double duty. It cooks the fish cakes while becoming the sauce you want to drag a piece of crusty bread through.
- They can be made ahead. Make the sauce and fish cakes earlier in the day, then cook dinner when you're ready.
- They are perfect for two. No giant batch of fish cakes taking over your freezer.
And here's the part I really love: the fish cakes are supposed to be tender.
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The inspiration: Ottolenghi's cod cakes
This recipe began with Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's Cod Cakes in Tomato Sauce from Jerusalem. Their version draws from the cooking traditions of Syrian Jews and combines fresh fish with cumin, coriander, herbs and a sweetly spiced tomato sauce.
Fish cakes are one of those wonderfully frugal foods that show up in cultures all over the world. You take a little fish, add a few humble ingredients and turn it into something completely different.
I loved the idea immediately.
But I also wanted to make it work for my smaller table.
I made a few switches, including using panko instead of fresh white bread and scaling everything down for two. And while cod is wonderful here, tilapia works beautifully when cod is expensive or hard to find. You can use almost any mild, flaky white fish. That was what I used after talking to my fish monger.
That's one of the things I love about recipes like this: the technique stays the same while the fish can change with what's available.
HOw to make cod cakes in tomato sauce
Traditional fish cakes often rely on mashed potatoes to bind the fish together. There are plenty of versions like that, and they can be delicious.
These are different. The fish stays front and center.
Fresh white fish is finely chopped and combined with panko, egg, onion, garlic, parsley and spices. The mixture is intentionally quite wet. After a quick chill, you shape it into small cakes and pan-fry them.
Instead of serving the crispy fish cakes with a sauce on the side, you tuck them directly into the tomato sauce and let them gently simmer.
The cakes absorb some of that sauce while the sauce picks up all the savory flavor from the fish.
It's a two-part recipe that becomes one very good dinner.
Step 1 | Start with the tomato sauce
The sauce is where the layers of flavor begin.
Warm olive oil in a large skillet with a lid. Add the onion, cumin and paprika and cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add white wine and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Then add passata, garlic, red pepper flakes and a little sugar.
The sugar isn't there to make a sweet tomato sauce. It simply balances the acidity of the jarred tomato puree.
Let the sauce simmer until it thickens slightly, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
Stir in fresh mint.
Step 2 | Make the fish cake mixture
Here's where your food processor earns its keep.
Start by adding the roughly chopped onion, parsley and smashed garlic to the bowl of your food processor. Give it about 10 pulses, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed, until everything is finely chopped.
Now add the roughly chopped fish.
Give it another 5-10 pulses, just until the fish is finely chopped into manageable pieces. You want pieces small enough to make an easy-to-eat fish cake, but you absolutely do not want fish paste.
This is one of those times when less is more. Watch the texture as you pulse we want to see flakes of fish not fish paste.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the panko, beaten egg, cumin, coriander and salt.
Mix gently but thoroughly.
The mixture will be soft and wet. That's exactly what you want.
Step 3 | Shape the Fish Cakes
With damp hands, divide the mixture into four small cakes and gently compact them.
Don't overwork them or pack them too tightly.
If the mixture feels too soft to handle, refrigerate the cakes for about 30 minutes. Chilling gives the fish mixture a chance to firm up and makes the cakes much easier to pan-fry.
And resist the temptation to keep adding breadcrumbs.
The best fish cakes are tender enough to almost fall apart at the touch of your fork.
Step 4 | Pan-fry the cod cakes
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish cakes and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
You aren't trying to cook them all the way through at this point. The fish cakes will finish cooking in the tomato sauce. Handle them gently when turning. A thin spatula works beautifully here.
Step 5 | Finish the fish cakes in the tomato sauce
Nestle the browned fish cakes into the tomato sauce.
Add a little hot water to the pan so the sauce comes partway up the sides of the cakes.
Cover and gently simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
Then turn off the heat and let the fish cakes rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
This little resting period matters. It gives the delicate cakes time to settle before you move them to the plate.
Finish with fresh mint.
Note: You will find the measurements and other helpful ingredient tips in the recipe card below.
Did you make this recipe?
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Common questions about this recipe
You've got questions... I've got answers! If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered below, feel free to leave it in the comments, and I'll jump in there to help you out.
This is probably the biggest question you'll have when making these.
First, don't try to make the mixture dry. The fish cakes should be soft and moist.
Instead:
• Chop the fish finely, but don't puree it.
• Don't overload the mixture with breadcrumbs.
• Chill the shaped cakes if they feel too soft.
• Use a spatula to turn them gently.
• Don't move them around repeatedly in the pan.
• Let them brown before attempting to flip them.
• Once they're in the tomato sauce, leave them alone.
They become more fragile as they simmer, which is exactly why you want to handle them as little as possible.
Absolutely.
Cod is wonderful here, but you don't need to wait for a perfect piece of cod to make these.
Use any mild, flaky white fish, such as:
• tilapia
• haddock
• halibut
• pollock
I've made these with tilapia and was very happy with the result. That's especially helpful when cod or halibut is expensive or simply isn't looking good at the fish counter.
Yes-and this is one of the reasons I love this recipe for entertaining or a dinner when you don't want to do everything at once.
The tomato sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated.
You can also make the fish cakes a day ahead. Store them covered in the refrigerator, and they'll firm up overnight, making them easier to handle. The flavors also have time to develop, and I think these fish cakes are even better the next day.
Or make the entire dish a day ahead. Once cooled, cove
r and refrigerate. The next day, gently reheat over low heat until warmed through. The flavors will have had even more time to marry together.
What to serve with cod cakes in tomato sauce
You need something to catch all that sauce.
We served ours with couscous and crusty bread, and I wouldn't change a thing.
Rice, bulgur, couscous or warm bread all work beautifully. A simple sautéed green such as spinach or Swiss chard would also balance the richness of the tomato sauce.
For our table, though? Couscous for the sauce. Bread for the sauce. And no regrets.
Related
Looking for other fish dinners for two? Try these:
Cod Cakes in Tomato Sauce for Two
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cod Cakes
- 10½ ounces cod or other mild flaky white fish, skinless and boneless, roughly chopped
- ½ medium yellow onion roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- ⅓ cup Japanese panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg beaten
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for pan-frying
For the Tomato Sauce
- 2½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ medium yellow onion chopped
- 12 ounces good-quality passata or smooth tomato sauce
- ½ cup dry white wine
- Pinch red pepper flakes or more to taste
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves roughly chopped, plus more for serving
- About ½ cup hot water as needed
Instructions
Make the Tomato Sauce
- Sauté the onion and spices: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, cumin and paprika. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the wine and tomatoes: Pour in the white wine and simmer for about 3 minutes. Add the passata, red pepper flakes, garlic and sugar. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the fresh mint. Remove from the heat while you make the fish cakes.
Make the Cod Cakes
- Chop the aromatics: Add the roughly chopped onion, parsley and smashed garlic to a food processor. Pulse about 10 times, until the ingredients are finely chopped. Scrape down the sides if needed.
- Add the fish: Add the roughly chopped cod and pulse another 5-10 times, just until the fish is finely chopped into small, manageable pieces. **Do not over-process-you want chopped fish, not fish paste.**
- Mix the fish cakes: Transfer the fish mixture to a bowl. Stir in the panko, beaten egg, cumin, coriander and salt. Mix gently but thoroughly. The mixture will be **soft and wet. That's exactly what you want.**
- Shape the cakes: Using damp hands, gently form the mixture into 4 to 6 fish cakes, about 2½-3 inches wide and ¾ inch thick. Don't pack them too tightly.
Pan-Fry and Finish in the Sauce
- Pan-fry the fish cakes: Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish cakes and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Add the remaining oil as needed. Using a fish spatula, handle the cakes gently when turning.
- Simmer in the tomato sauce: Gently nestle the browned fish cakes into the tomato sauce. Add enough hot water to the pan so the sauce comes partway up the sides of the cakes.
- Cover and cook: Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, until the fish cakes are cooked through.
- Let them rest. Turn off the heat and leave the fish cakes uncovered for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with additional fresh mint.
Notes
A few things to know before you start
The mixture will be wet. Don't panic. That's what gives these fish cakes their delicate texture. Chill if necessary. Thirty minutes in the refrigerator can make the difference between easy-to-handle cakes and a frustrating mess. Make them ahead. Store the shaped fish cakes covered in the refrigerator overnight. They'll firm up and the flavors will have time to develop. Use a good tomato sauce. Passata gives you a smooth, luxurious sauce without the need to puree canned tomatoes. Don't skip the mint. It adds a fresh finish that wakes up the cumin and tomato. Be gentle. These aren't dense, heavily breaded fish cakes. Their tenderness is part of their charm. And if one cracks a little when you turn it? Don't worry. Once it is tucked into that tomato sauce, nobody will complain.Your Notes, Tips and Tricks
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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