Delicious Cod Fish Cakes

Welcome to a taste of classic comfort food! Fish cakes, or 'kotlety' as they're known in many Eastern European homes, are a beloved staple for a reason. They are incredibly satisfying, easy to make, and wonderfully versatile. This recipe for cod fish cakes is particularly special—it creates patties that are juicy on the inside, perfectly golden on the outside, and packed with flavor. It's a fantastic way to enjoy fish and a guaranteed hit with both kids and adults for any weekday dinner.

Delicious cod fish cakes

Cooking: 45 minutes

Quantity: 4 Servings

Per serving

Calories: 324 kcal

Proteins: 24 g

Fats: 7 g

Carbohydrates: 15 g

Ingredients for Cod Fish Cakes:

• 1 kg (2.2 lbs) fresh-frozen cod
• 65 ml (1/4 cup) milk
• 120 g (1 large) onion
• 70 g (3/4 cup) oat bran (+ extra for coating)
• black pepper, salt, dried dill to taste
• vegetable oil for frying

How to Make Delicious Cod Fish Cakes

I made these fish cakes from a whole cod, but you can use ready-made fish fillets. It’s slightly more expensive, but the result is the same.

First, let the frozen fish thaw for a few hours on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator.

Cleaning the cod

Once the cod has thawed, trim the fins with scissors, scale the fish, make an incision along the back, and remove the backbone.

Cut the fillet, along with the skin, into large pieces. Whether to leave the skin on depends on the power of your meat grinder or food processor. A powerful appliance will turn the fillet, skin, and even small fish bones into a smooth mixture. A less powerful machine might struggle, leaving bits of skin in the mince.

Cutting the cod fillet into large pieces

So, mince the fish fillet until smooth using your preferred method, then add fine table salt and milk.

Mixing the minced cod with salt and milk

Peel a large onion, dice it, and add it to the bowl. Process the ingredients again until the mixture is homogeneous.

Grinding the onion with the fish mince

Stir in the oat bran. Instead of bran, you can use breadcrumbs or dry white bread without the crust.

Lately, following the advice of nutritionists, I’ve been replacing flour and white bread with bran wherever possible. It turns out delicious and healthy.

Adding oat bran to the fish mince and mixing

Add freshly ground black pepper and dried dill to the bowl. Mix the fish mixture thoroughly, then refrigerate it for 20 minutes. This allows the bran to absorb the fish juices and swell.

Adding spices and herbs. Mixing thoroughly

With wet hands, form small patties about the size of a ping-pong ball and coat them in oat bran.

One kilogram of fish yields quite a few patties, so you can freeze some for later.

Forming the cod patties and coating them in oat bran

Heat refined vegetable oil in a thick-bottomed skillet. Fry the fish cakes for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Frying the cod fish cakes on both sides

Then, transfer the patties to a heavy-bottomed pot, cover tightly, and cook over low heat for 12 minutes until fully cooked. Alternatively, you can arrange the cod fish cakes on a greased baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes.

Delicious cod fish cakes