Make leftover fish sing with these fish cakes seasoned with fresh herbs, capers, mustard, and scallions. Don't skip the tarragon mayo -- it's the perfect sauce for these cakes. Leftovers never looked so good!

Photography Credit: Sally Vargas

It’s been a while since I’ve made fish cakes, and I have resisted them because, well, they don’t sound all that sexy. (Am I allowed to say that?)

Surprise, surprise! These were a huge hit! And why not? My all-time favorite ingredient (potatoes), plenty of fresh herbs, mustard, capers, and scallions give them tons of perky flavors. They are crisp and golden on the outside and flaky-moist on the inside. What’s not to like?

These fish cakes make a good case for using up leftover cooked fish – especially the cod used in this recipe – but from now on, they are going into my rotation as a purposeful dish, not a leftover afterthought. Tarragon mayonnaise, mayonnaise spiked with another fresh herb, or tartar sauce are literally the icing on the cake.

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WHAT’S THE BEST FISH FOR FISH CAKES?

I used cod for these because I like it, but having said that, you could substitute another white fish like haddock, hake, whiting, halibut, or veer off into salmon territory if you like.

You can purchase skinned fish, but if it has not been skinned, cook it with the skin on. It’s easy enough to flake it either way.

MAKE AHEAD FISH CAKES

You can make all the components of these fish cakes up the day before you plan to assemble them—cook the potatoes and fish, prep the herbs and capers—or you could also OHIO (only handle it once) and mix and shape the patties ahead of time.

Once the patties are shaped they will keep for at least one day in the refrigerator before needing to be cooked.

If you like, you could freeze the patties, cooked or uncooked, for up to 2 months for optimal freshness. Wrap them in plastic wrap and foil, and defrost them in the fridge before cooking or reheating in a pan.

HEALTHY FISH CAKES

Traditionally, codfish cakes are fried, but eight patties do not fit in one pan, and that is a deal-breaker for me. I experimented with the broiler, which I found quite satisfactory. Even though you are not frying them, they still need oil in order to brown, so don’t skimp on the oil when you broil them.

To keep the patties from falling apart as they cook, chilling them for at least one hour beforehand is essential.

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