Rainbow trout fish cakes

Fish cakes are home cooking from rainbow trout: small cakes, a crisp crust, a cold sharp sauce. The potato in the mix is the binder, not filler. The rémoulade is the sharp counterweight to the fatty fish. It is not fish burgers — that page is a patty in a bun.

How to do it

The mix

Chop the fillet coarsely. Do not blend. Cold mashed potato, egg, crème fraîche and mustard hold it together. Onion and dill give flavour without watering it out. The mix should be shapeable. If it is wet: more potato, not more breadcrumbs in the mix.

Rest and fry

Breadcrumbs on the outside. Rest cold so the fat in the fish sets. Medium heat, butter plus a splash of oil so the butter does not burn. Cooked through, golden. Do not press them flat in the pan.

Rémoulade

Mayonnaise, pickled gherkin, capers, mustard, dill. Cold. It should be sharp enough to cut fat. Make it while the cakes rest.

Serving

Boiled potatoes, a lemon wedge, rémoulade, a simple salad. Or stirred lingonberries if you want the same salt-and-acid you get by the fire — without copying kolbullar.

Tips

Children often like the cakes more than a whole fillet. Make them smaller. The same mix works for fish burgers if you skip the potato and shape larger patties.