Non-VegetarianYorkshire cuisine Starters

Yorkshire Fishcake

Name: Yorkshire Fishcake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Yorkshire
Ingredients: 2 large maris piper potatoes; 300 g haddock fillet; 175 g Plain flour; 25 g cornflour; 1 tsp Baking powder; 1.5 tsp Fine sea salt; 0.5 tsp ground white pepper; 220 ml Cold sparkling water; 1 l sunflower oil

Crisp golden battered parcels of tender haddock sandwiched between two parboiled potato slices. A true West Yorkshire fish-and-chip shop classic.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· Yorkshire and the Humber

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 45 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 510 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

2 large maris piper potatoes — peeled and sliced into 5 mm rounds
300 g haddock fillet — skinless, boneless, cut into 4 flat portions
175 g Plain flour — plus 2 tbsp extra for dusting
25 g cornflour — for a crisper batter
1 tsp Baking powder — gives lift to the batter
1½ tsp Fine sea salt — divided between batter and potato water
½ tsp ground white pepper — to season the fish
220 ml Cold sparkling water — chilled
1 l sunflower oil — for deep-frying

Equipment

•Deep heavy-based saucepan or deep-fat fryer
•Slotted spoon or spider skimmer
•Mixing bowl
•Wire cooling rack
•Kitchen paper

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 510 kcal
fat: 26 g
carbs: 48 g
fibre: 3 g
protein: 22 g
calories: 510 kcal

Instructions

1
Parboil (partially boil) the sliced potato rounds in salted water on the hob for 4 minutes until slightly tender.
2
Drain the potato slices gently and arrange them flat on kitchen paper to cool and dry thoroughly.
3
Whisk the plain flour, cornflour, baking powder, half a teaspoon of salt, and cold sparkling water into a smooth batter.
4
Season the haddock pieces lightly with salt and ground white pepper.
5
Place one portion of haddock between two matching potato slices, pressing together firmly to form a sandwich.
6
Heat the oil in a deep heavy-based saucepan on the hob to 180°C.
7
Dust each potato sandwich lightly in plain flour to help the batter adhere.
8
Dip the sandwich into the batter until completely coated on all sides.
9
Carefully lower the fishcake into the hot oil and fry for 7 to 8 minutes until deep golden.
10
Lift out using a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack lined with greaseproof paper before serving.

Chef's tips

Ensure the potato slices are completely dry before assembling, otherwise the flour and batter will slip off. Keep the oil temperature steady at 180°C so the potato cooks through without burning the batter.

Ingredient substitutions

haddock fillet → cod fillet or coley fillet
cold sparkling water → cold pale ale or cold tap water
sunflower oil → beef dripping (for traditional Yorkshire chip shop flavour)

Storage

Store leftover cooked fishcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat on a baking tray in a fan oven at 180°C for 12 to 15 minutes until piping hot and crisp.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Overboiling the potato slices so they break when assembling the sandwich.
•Using batter that is too warm, which results in a soggy coating.
•Frying at too high a temperature, leaving raw fish and hard potato inside.

Serving suggestions

Serve hot alongside mushy peas and thick-cut chips.Splash generously with malt vinegar and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.Serve with a dollop of chip shop curry sauce or tartare sauce.