Cod Cakes

Instead of frying I put the cakes on a parchment covered baking sheet , lightly oiled. Then I baked at 400 degrees until golden, about 12 minutes. Thus no problem of falling apart.

Thanks for writing, Jon, and sorry your cakes did not hold together. We tested the recipe six ways to Sunday. I can't tell you why yours failed. But I can tell you why it works! Next time you may want to increase the amount of time you leave them in the fridge to "set." Or you could always add another egg. I don't like mashed potatoes or minced fish in the patties; they lead to gumminess. It's better in my view to allow the eggs and cracker crumbs to do their jobs.

I have made a lot of fish cakes, but these were the best. Followed the recipe but poached fish early in the day and cooled completely. Flaked fish with fingers, then folded flakes into binding sauce by hand. Formed the cakes and refrigerated for a few hours. They held together beautifully. Smeared a dab of mayonnaise on each side before frying. Outsides were crispy and oil absorption was minimal. A bit more of a process than the usual, but worth it.

Excellent recipe. I often make crab or salmon cakes with a bit of mayo and fresh bread crumbs, no egg. Followed this recipe exactly and wondered how such a loose mixture would work. Try chilling the whole bowl before forming into cakes, then chill again before cooking. It takes some time for the egg and crumbs to do their job and bind the mixture. Cook low and slow. Leftover cakes very good reheated in oven. Tartar sauce a must, even better with an added splash of habanero sauce or chipotle.

A very basic tip for not having fish cakes (or anything similar) fall apart in the pan is to simply not touch them until they have fully browned on one side, and flip them only once.

Made this a few times now, used panko once, saltines ever after because they held together better with the saltine Ran out of Old Bay Seasoning this time so I used Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, and left out the additional salt and pepper. Finally, because I don't have access to fresh Atlantic cod, I buy the frozen Arctic cod at Trader Joe's, and the packages of pieces, at half the price of the filets, are perfect for this.

The best thing about thiis delicious recipe--which can be made with just about any fish, by the way--is keeping the flakes of fish as whole as possible; the results are a voluptuous texture unlike many fish cakes.

I made these tonight with cod. Good recipe. I had enough to make 6 cakes. I divided the cakes in half and made 3 with large flakes and 3 with finer flakes of fish. I discovered that the cakes with the finer flaked fish held together better during frying. I omitted the salt altogether and found that the Old Bay made the mixture well seasoned, but I could have used little more bite. Will add a pinch of cayenne and smoky paprika to my next version and perhaps a few chopped capers.

For mayonnaise just use a mix of olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. Smear this onto patties before frying. Also use peanut oil for better crust. Also use panko for better crust.

These were amazing. Had no trouble with the cakes holding together - did give them a full hour in the fridge. We may them larger / entree sized and served them with pimenton lemon mayo, baked beans and a bright chopped salad.

The only adjustment I'll make next time is 1/2 teaspoon less salt. Old Bay Seasoning has salt as a main ingredient, so they ended up just a little bit too salty. Otherwise, these were great and a good use of the frozen cod we keep on hand. A new favorite.

Delicious! Fatastic flavor and texture. I found that, unlike with meat patties, you really have to compress the fish cakes when forming them into patties. Don't be afraid to apply some pressure; you want them dense. This was key to ensure they held together when sauteeing.

I also used 1/2 cup frozen corn instead of celery--it was what I had on hand and I prefer the flavor. It made a nice textural contrast and great flavor pairing. The crispy crust and soft cod interior - perfection.

First of all, I would eliminate most of the extra salt, as the Old Bay and saltines have plenty. My cakes held together well. I would lower the heat to medium high and sauté for a shorter amount of time. Mine were burnt to a crisp on the first side
Hopefully, I'll do better next time.

We are avoiding simple carbs, so added about 2/3 cup coarse almond flour to sub for crackers or panko. We also prefer simple spices to blends, so used paprika and chili flakes, so not so salty. We only chilled for 30 min., so are not sure if longer chilling would allow frying, so we baked at 400 F as suggested for 12 min. and turned on the broiler for 2 min. The cod cakes were delicious!

These were so very delicious. I made them with halibut and they came out extraordinary!!! I used panko and no added salt. We had them with homemade cole slaw and tarter sauce. Hats off to you Sam!!!

Cod is virtually extinct. Fished out. What we think is cod, or is labeled such in supermarkets, is likely to be something else. Better to go with a sustainable fish, like tilapia.