Viskoekies (Fishcakes)
Viskoekies
Viskoekies always carried a kind of everyday magic — the sort of food that appeared when there wasn't much in the cupboard, yet somehow tasted like more than the sum of its parts.
Ingredients
- 250 g finely flaked white fish
- 250 g salted cod (stokvis), prepared/softened and flaked
- 1 large potato, sliced (for boiling)
- 1 onion (for boiling with potato)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup water
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 30 g butter (for mash)
- 1 medium onion, diced (for frying)
- 100 g finely chopped gherkins
- 1 large egg
- 100 g seasoned flour
- 2 extra large eggs, beaten (for coating)
- 250 ml breadcrumbs
- Oil for frying
- Tartare sauce:
- 180 ml mayonnaise
- 3 tsp caper seeds
- 2 tsp finely chopped onion
- 6 tsp finely chopped gherkins
- 3 tsp finely chopped pickled cucumber (or extra gherkin)
- 3 tsp lemon juice
Method
- Cook the fish, potato slices and whole onion with bay leaves, water, salt and pepper, covered, until the fish is tender. Remove the fish.
- Boil the potato, then mash finely with the butter.
- Flake the fish finely and remove any skin or bones.
- Fry the diced onion in a little butter until soft.
- Mix the mashed potato, flaked fish, fried onion, chopped gherkins and 1 large egg together; season to taste.
- Shape the mixture into patties.
- Dredge each patty in the seasoned flour, dip in the beaten egg, then coat with dry breadcrumbs.
- Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- Fry the fishcakes in hot oil until golden and cooked through.
- Drain on kitchen paper.
- Mix all tartare sauce ingredients together and serve on the side.