My fiancé Greg is a commercial lobster fisherman. Occasionally while hauling his traps a good size cod fish will have swum in looking for a bite of the lobster bait. Whenever he brings one or two home I have these fish cakes on the next day’s menu. They are terrific dinner fare and make swell appetizers when formed into tiny cakes.

Diana’s Fish Cakes
1½ pounds white potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 pounds fresh codfish
4 strips bacon, preferably thick cut, cut into quarter-inch diece
2 cups diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1½ cups flour, seasoned with a generous pinch of coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil

Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water, add a
pinch of coarse salt, cover, and cook over medium heat until fork
tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and put through a food mill or mash
with a fork in a large bowl.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat 3 cups of water in a 12-inch
skillet over medium heat. Add the codfish and poach gently until cooked
through, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and add to the bowl with the
potatoes.

Sauté bacon in a medium skillet over medium high heat until crisp.
Remove the bacon bits from the pan and add to the bowl with the
potatoes and fish. Add the onions, garlic, salt and pepper to the bacon
drippings in the pan and sauté over medium heat until soft and starting
to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Scrape the onions, garlic and bacon
drippings into the bowl. Mix well. Shape the fish mixture into twelve
3½-inch cakes. Put on a parchment lined tray and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Beat the egg and milk together in a shallow dish. Put the seasoned
flour in another shallow dish. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed skillet
(cast iron is perfect) over medium heat to 350 degrees or until a
1-inch break cube browns in 1 minute. Dredge the fish cakes in the
flour, dip in the egg wash, and dredge in the flour again. Fry, 4 at a
time, in the hot oil until golden brown and and heated through about
3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack above paper towel lined
baking sheet and keep warm in a 300 degree oven while frying the
remaining fish cakes.

Makes 12.

Diana Santospago is the chef and innkeeper of The Inn at Isle au Haut.