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Fish Cakes or Balls Fried
118. Mash a few potatoes in butter or cream; then take double the quantity of any dressed fish, after clearing off all bones and skin. Mix it well with the potatoes, season with pepper and salt, and mace, if approved, and make it into cakes or round balls, or put in scallopshells. Fry them a light brown, and serve in a napkin; or, if in scallops, brown in a Dutch oven.
A thrifty way of using up cooked fish, with unusually clear proportions for a book of this vintage. The one thing to get right is the ratio: twice as much fish as potato, which makes a loose mixture that needs careful handling.
- "Dressed fish" means cookedAny leftover cooked fish will do -- poached cod, haddock, salmon, or the remains of a baked whole fish. Raw fish will not work here, as the mixture is only fried long enough to brown.
- The proportionThe recipe says only "double the quantity" of fish to potato, without specifying bulk or weight. Something like 12 oz flaked fish to 6 oz mashed potato is a workable modern reading, giving roughly eight cakes.
- BindingWith this much fish and no egg, the mixture is fragile. Keep the mash fairly dry and stiff, chill the shaped cakes for half an hour before frying, and turn them once only.
- MaceGround mace, the outer covering of nutmeg, was a common fish seasoning in period kitchens, though the recipe offers it only "if approved" -- a scant quarter teaspoon for this quantity. Nutmeg is a near substitute if mace is not to hand.
- FryingShallow-fry in butter or a butter and oil mixture over medium heat, three to four minutes a side. A light coating of flour helps the crust; the original leaves it out, so the surface stays soft unless you add it.
- Scallop shellsDeep scallop shells were reusable baking dishes; individual ramekins do the same job. Dot the top with butter and crumbs before browning.
- "Brown in a Dutch oven"Not the modern lidded pot. A Dutch oven of this period was an open-fronted metal screen set before the fire to reflect heat onto the food. Use a hot grill or broiler, or the top of a hot oven.
- Serving in a napkinFried items were commonly sent to table on a folded linen napkin, which would also take up some of the fat. The recipe gives no quantities firm enough to fix a yield.