Fishcakes with Tangy homemade Tartar Sauce

For our family, money is tight, as it is for so many here in the UK and Europe and the USA.  And getting the most out of the weekly or bi-weekly shopping is crucial.  But as a real foodie, I refuse to skimp on flavour.  So as part of my blog, I'll be devoting many recipes to tasty meals on a budget.  It's not a new concept.  In fact, some of the recipes I use come from articles with this same idea in mind.  However, can you really have too many budget meal ideas?  I don't think so.

Fishcakes are a delicious meal that can really stretch your grocery supply.  Fitting conveniently into a busy day, you can assemble the cakes and refrigerate them up to 8 hours before cooking. I've used Basa and Haddock fillets to make this recipe, but the original version calls for Cod. It comes from Cooking Light Magazine's Annual 2003 "Potato Cod Cakes with Dijon Tartar Sauce." My version is slightly simpler, leaving out sweet pepper and green onions mostly because my kids won't eat them. Sometimes I up the amount of potato, sometimes I have to get by with a little less fish.  But because it's such an adaptable recipe, you can get away with lots of tweaks and still come out with a tasty and healthy fishcake.  What else could you ask for?  I usually serve them with a side of rice (tartar sauce is good on it too) and a salad or whatever vegetables my kids will eat that day.

Herb Fish Cakes with Tangy Mustard Tartar Sauce

Ingredients 

Sauce

•  1/2 cup light or fat free mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons grated or finely chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons Farmhouse pickle or sweet pickle relish or even Mango Chutney
• 2-4 teaspoons Dijon or wholegrain mustard
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Cakes

• 1 large baking potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs or panko
• 1/4 cup grated onion
• 3-4 tablespoons fresh flat parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 400-500g  (1 lb.) white fish fillets, cooked (cod, haddock, etc.)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil or veg oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 5.
2. Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Cover; refrigerate.
3. For cakes, place potato cubes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Boil for 5 minutes in until tender.  Drain; mash; allow to cool.
4. Add to pan breadcrumbs and next 8 ingredients; mix well.  Divide mixture into 12 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch thick patty.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add up to half the cakes; cook 2 minutes on each side. Place cakes on a greased baking sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and cakes. 
6. Bake cakes in preheated oven for 10 minutes.  Serve with sauce.

Serves 4-6.