Smoked Mackerel Fishcakes

Smoked Mackerel Fishcakes, without potato, are tasty and nutritious and are popular with all the family - even babies love them! Prepare ahead of time and cook in 10 minutes.

Smoked Mackerel Fishcakes

I'm very fond of fishcakes, but I'm not too keen on lots of mashed potato in them, which can be a bit heavy with oily fish. So I prefer to use other vegetables such as butternut squash in these Smoked Mackerel Fishcakes. The squash balances out the rich smoked mackerel to make a light meal.

Cooking butternut squash

You can cook the squash in a couple of different ways:

1. Steam the squash. You need to cut the hard skin off the squash, remove the seeds, and chop the flesh into cubes. Then steam for about 15 minutes.
   The downside is that the skin is very tough so it's time-consuming to remove, plus it takes a lot of effort
2. Bake the squash. This is my preferred method. You cut the squash into quarters lengthwise and remove the seeds. Then put the pieces face-down on a baking sheet and cook at 160°C fan, gas mark 4 for about 45 minutes. When you can handle the squash, scoop the flesh out with a spoon.
   This method probably doesn't take much longer overall, and it's easier on the hands.

Prepare ahead:

Any meal that you can prepare ahead of time is invaluable when you're coming home from work to make a meal for the family. In this case, you can make the fishcakes and put them in the fridge, ready to cook, the night before. Just heat the oil and cook in 10-12 minutes. Then all you need is salad or some frozen veg to make a delicious meal.

Helpful Tools

5-bladed herb cutting scissors – Useful for cutting the parsley without cutting your fingers.

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Recipe

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Smoked Mackerel Fishcakes

Smoked Mackerel Fishcakes are a healthy, tasty supper dish for the family.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: British

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Susie@Everyday Cooks

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, approx 1kg
• 3 medium eggs
• 4 smoked mackerel fillets, approx 300g
• Small bunch fresh parsley (10g)
• Oil for frying
• Butter for frying
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon wedges to serve

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Equipment

Baking sheet

Magic liner or

Silicone baking mat OR

Baking parchment

Large frying pan

Instructions

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C fan, gas mark 6
• Line the baking sheet with baking parchment, a silicone baking mat or piece of magic liner
• Cut the squash in quarters lengthwise and remove the seeds and any stringy bits, then put cut side down on the baking sheet
• Cook the squash for about 30-45 minutes until tender

  The skin starts to bubble when the squash is cooked
• Allow the squash to cool for 5 minutes
• Alternatively, steam the squash until tender

For the Smoked Mackerel Fishcakes:

In a food processor:

• Remove the squash flesh from the shell, using the tip of a spoon
• Put the squash, eggs and smoked mackerel into the processor and pulse until you have a smooth mixture (20-30 seconds)
• Add the parsley and pulse to mix through

By hand:

• Finely chop the parsley
• Flake the smoked mackerel with a fork
• Remove the squash flesh from the shell, using the tip of a spoon
• Mash the squash with the eggs and mix in the smoked mackerel and parsley

To form and cook the fishcakes:

• Form the mixture into cakes with your hands and place on a lined baking sheet

  You will make 12 fishcakes
• Refrigerate for an hour (or overnight)
• Heat a tablespoon (15ml) oil on MEDIUM heat. Add a little butter and wait for it to stop foaming
• Cook the fishcakes for 4-5 minutes before turning and cooking for a further 3-4 minutes
• Serve with lemon wedges and salad

Notes

Everyday Cooks Tips:

Make-ahead:

• Prepare the fishcakes the night before and cover before refrigerating