Nani’s Fish Cakes
Posted On October 6, 2021
This is one of our traditional recipes for Christmas. We serve it on Christmas Eve as part of the Feast of the Seven Fishes (Festa dei sette pesci).
Nani’s Fish Cakes
A Christmas Tradition – Good Anytime
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 lb Dry codfish (prepared – see below) or 2 lb of frozen cod
- 1 tsp Active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water plus another 1 1/2 cup
- 1-3 cups All purpose flour
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Olive Oil for frying
Instructions
- Two days ahead, soak dry cod for 2 days in a bowl of water in fridge. Change water twice a day. Remove any skin and all bones. Skip this step if using frozen cod.
- Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add fish and boil until tender and flaky (test with fork). Drain well.
- Mix yeast with water and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Add another 1 1/2 cups warm water and stir.
- Add enough flour just to make a very soft (thick, creamy) dough.
- Shred the fish (with two forks) well. Mix into the batter.
- Stir in a pinch of salt and pepper. If using frozen cod, be more generous with the salt. Mix well. Taste to see if you need more salt.
- Cover and let rise for 1/2 hour.
- In large frying pan, heat about 1/4" to 1/2" olive oil over medium/high heat. Fry fish batter by tablespoons-ful (like pancakes), until light golden-brown on both sides. Continue until batter is finished.
- Strain on paper towels.
- Leftovers can be covered in the refrigerator for about a week. Warm up in the oven at 350 degrees F, wrapped loosely in foil for a few minutes until warm throughout.