These fishcakes are ever so easy to make, as once the fish and potatoes are cooked it’s simply a matter of combining the ingredients together, before adding the cakes to the pan. The Chia Bia seeds not only add some additional heart-healthy omega 3, fibre and minerals to the fishcakes, but they also help with the binding of the raw ingredients. A fresh and simple tomato salsa makes a light accompaniment to these tasty fishcakes.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
– 350g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
– 2 small cod fillets, approx. 250g
– 300mls milk
– 2 tbsp ground Chia Bia seeds
– 2 scallions, finely chopped
– large bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped
– zest of 1 lemon
– Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
– 1 egg, lightly beaten
– Plain flour, for coating
– 1-2 tbsp olive oil
Tomato Salsa
– 4 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
– 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
– juice of 1/2 lime
– 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
– 1 tsp sugar
– 1 tbsp fresh coriander, roughly chopped
– salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Add the potato chunks to a steamer and steam for about 15 minutes, until cooked. Drain well, place in a large bowl and then roughly mash with a fork.
2. Place the cod fillets in a medium sized saucepan. Cover with the milk. Place over a high heat. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove the cod to a plate. Allow to cool slightly before gently pulling off the skin and, while checking to ensure there are no bones, break into large flakes and add to the potatoes.
3. Stir through the Chia Bia seeds, scallions, coriander, lemon zest and season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well to combine, before gradually adding the beaten egg.
4. Sprinkle a little flour on your hands and gather the mixture into 12 even sized balls. Then gently flatten each to make into fishcakes. Dust each fishcake with a little flour. Transfer to a plate. Cover with clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes, allowing the Chia Bia to expand.
5. Place a large pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and once hot add the fishcakes. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden.
6. To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients together in a bowl. Season to taste.
7. Remove the fishcakes with a fish slice and drain on some kitchen paper. Serve straight away with the tomato salsa and some salad leaves. Cut into wedges the lemon that was used for the zest, and add a wedge to each plate for squeezing over the fishcakes.
Nessa Robbins Chia Bia, Ireland’s leading Chia producers, are thrilled to be working with food writer and blogger Nessa Robins of Nessa’s Family Kitchen. Nessa’s recipes have been featured in the national newspapers and magazines, as well as many on-line sites, including EUMOM, Avonmore.ie, RTE food and The Irish Times to name a few! Having worked as a nurse for many years, her experience in the health sector has impacted on her approach to food and has greatly influenced her recipes and how she feeds her own family. Nessa is the ‘Family Food Expert’ with Irish parenting magazine, Easy Parenting and has a ‘Home Nurse Column’ with The Farmer’s Journal – Irish Country Living, combining her training as a nurse with her passion for food. For more information on Nessa visit nessasfamilykitchen.blogspot.ie.
To find out more about Chia Bia go to www.chiabia.com, or follow them on Twitter and Facebook.