Crisp on the outside and tender in the centre, with just the right amount of bite from the sweetcorn and a salty tang from the smoked fish, these little fritters make incredibly tasty – and pleasingly untidy – alternatives to the ubiquitous neat fishcake.
Serves 4
200g smoked pollack or haddock fillet
About 500ml whole milk
1 bay leaf
A chunk of onion
2 corn-on-the-cobs
Sunflower oil for frying
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the batter
50g plain flour
25g cornflour
½ teaspoon baking powder
To serve
Lemon wedges
Put the fish in a saucepan and pour on enough milk to barely cover it. Add the bay leaf, onion and a grinding of pepper. Bring slowly to the boil, then take off the heat and flip the fish over in the pan. Cover and leave to cook in the residual heat for 3 minutes. Turn the fish over and check that it is cooked – the flesh should be opaque and flake easily from the skin. If it’s not quite done, leave it in the covered pan for a couple of minutes longer. Slightly undercooked is fine, however, as the fish will be cooked further in the cakes. Once cooked, remove the fish with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Strain the milk and leave to cool.
For the batter, sift the flour with the cornflour and baking powder into a large bowl. Measure 125ml of the cooled milk and gradually whisk it into the flour. You want a smooth, thin batter, about the consistency of single cream, so add a little more or less milk as needed, erring on the side of thinness. Taste the batter, adding a little salt only if required (the fish-infused milk contributes salt).
Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels from the corn cobs. Take the cooled fish off its skin in large flakes, removing any bones as you go. Add to the batter, with the corn. Turn gently together with a spoon. Tip out any excess batter, to ensure just a light coating.
Heat about a 1cm depth of oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium-high heat. To check it is hot enough, drop in a cube of white bread – it should turn light golden brown in 30–40 seconds. Place heaped tablespoonfuls of the mixture in the pan, flattening them slightly with the spoon. Cook for a minute or so until golden brown underneath, then flip over and cook for another minute or two. Remove and drain on kitchen paper for a minute. Serve piping hot, with a sprinkling of salt and lemon wedges on the side.
PLUS ONE A dollop of tartare sauce is a lovely extra – just stir some chopped spring onion, capers, gherkins and parsley into mayonnaise, preferably homemade (see here).