Yellow Tail Fish Cakes- Two Ways

Recently we visited Baltimore, Maryland known for great Crab Cakes. We had crab cakes cooked a number of ways including baked, grilled and even fried (fluffed). The most dramatic presentations were softball sized crab cakes which were full of large lumps of crab meat. That got me thinking about my favorite recipe for fish cakes. I cook these often and thought a makeover was in order.

Fish Cakes Two Ways- Baked and Skillet Grilled
CryoVac pack of Yellow Tail poached. My husband is an avid deep sea fisherman. A prized catch is Yellow Tail. Most often found in the waters from Mexico to Southern California, this white, flaky meat fish is perfect for making fishcakes.
Poaching in the CryoVac maintains flavor and minimizes the fish drying out.
The fish should be flaked. The idea is to have chunks of flaky white fish similar to lumps of crab meat in crab cakes.
Ingredients include:
1 egg, 1 tsp seafood seasoning, 1 tb fresh parsely, 2 tb diced celery, 1 green onion diced, 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, 1 clove garlic finely minced, 1 tb dijon mustard, 2 tb mayonaise, 2 tsp worcheshire sauce, 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs, dash hot sauce,(melted butter for skillet or cooking spray for baking sheet).



Cooking in cast iron skillet over medium heat til browned on both sides.
Baked in oven for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees

Crab Cakes

I had a taste for crab cakes. I haven't made these in a while and noted that I had a can of lump crab meat in my refrigerator for a few months which needed to be used. The other ingredients are staples in my kitchen so preparing these didn't take much planning.

My recipe is adapted from the recipe straight off the Phillips Crab meat can. I tweak it with a few other ingredients listed in the recipe below. This time I also added some finely chopped celery.
Take care in combining the ingredients so you maintain lumps of the crab meat.

I use a large ice cream scoop to form the cakes. I first place the dome in the skillet and cook for about 30 sections before I flatten the domes. My own little quirk but it seems to me that the crab cakes have a little time to bind and I don't get as much flaking.



This crab cake recipe can also be used substituting a flaky type fish for the crab. Another little variation is to substitute Ritz crackers for the bread crumbs. This variation I got from one of my friends in Baltimore along with adding about a 1/4 tsp of tabasco sauce for a little mild heat.



Crab Cakes (or Fish Cakes)
Adapted from Phillips Crabmeat Canned Product Recipe
2002 (888-234-2722)

1 lb crab (or flaky fish) in a mixing bowl. Leave in large lumps

Second bowl- beat:
1 egg
1 tsp worchestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp seafood seasoning
1 tsp parsley flakes
¼ tsp dry mustard
1 heaping tbl mayonaise
1 heaping tsp prepared mustard (I use Dijon)
optional add 2 tbl diced onion and 1 clove diced garlic

Take 2 slices of toasted bread and crumble into small pieces (I use Japanese Panko bread instead of bread crumbs).
Mix bread with fish
Fold in egg-spice mixture with fish
Consistency shoud be moist but stays together.
Make patties- serving size
Use seasoned Flour mixture (add some seafood seasoning, cayenne, salt and pepper) to coat patties.

Coat skillet with Pam type coating or olive oill. Fry on each side til golden brown.