Barbados Fish Cakes

Barbados Fish Cakes are golden, crispy little cakes packed with flaky salt cod, fresh herbs, garlic, onion and Scotch bonnet pepper. They are easy to make and full of the bold, warming flavours that make Bajan cooking so enjoyable. Serve them hot with Bajan pepper sauce or tucked into fresh salt bread for a delicious taste of Barbados.

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Servings People

Ingredients

Fish Cakes:

450 g salted cod
1 small onion very finely chopped
2 medium spring onions finely sliced
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 medium Scotch bonnet chillies finely chopped or similar
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp paprika
1 large egg
100 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder

The Batter:

150 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
180 ml cold water Approximately
Vegetable oil for deep or shallow frying

Instructions

Prepare the Salt Cod:

Place the salted cod in a large bowl and cover it with cold water.
450 g salted cod
Soak for several hours or, preferably, overnight. Change the water two or three times to remove the excess salt.
Drain the fish and place it in a saucepan. Cover with fresh water and bring to a gentle simmer.
Cook for 10–15 minutes, until the fish flakes easily.
Drain well and leave to cool.
Remove the skin and any bones. Flake the fish finely with a fork.

Make the Fish Cake Mixture:

Place the flaked fish in a large mixing bowl.
Add the onion, spring onions, garlic, Scotch bonnet, parsley and thyme.
1 small onion, 2 medium spring onions, 2 cloves garlic, 1 medium Scotch bonnet chillies, 2 tbsp fresh parsley, 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Add the black pepper and paprika, then mix everything together.
1 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp paprika
Beat the egg and stir it into the fish mixture.
1 large egg
Add the flour and baking powder. Mix thoroughly until everything comes together into a firm mixture.
100 g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder
The mixture should be moist but firm enough to shape. If it feels too wet, add another spoonful of flour.
Taste before adding salt because the cod may still contain plenty of salt.

Shape the Fish Cakes:

Lightly flour your hands.
Take a portion of the mixture and roll it into a ball.
Flatten it gently into a small, thick cake.
Continue until all the mixture has been used. Aim for cakes around 5–6cm across.
Place the shaped fish cakes on a plate or tray and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes. This helps them firm up before coating.

Make the Batter:

Put the flour, baking powder, salt and black pepper into a bowl.
150 g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
Gradually whisk in the cold water until you have a smooth batter.
180 ml cold water
The batter should be thick enough to coat the fish cakes but still run slowly from a spoon. Add a little more water if necessary.

Coat the Fish Cakes:

Heat the vegetable oil in a deep, heavy frying pan or saucepan to approximately 175°C.
Vegetable oil
Take one chilled fish cake and dip it completely into the batter.
Turn it carefully so the batter covers the entire surface.
Allow any excess batter to drip back into the bowl.
Carefully lower the coated fish cake into the hot oil.
Repeat with the remaining fish cakes, working in batches so you do not overcrowd the pan.

Fry Until Golden:

Fry the fish cakes for approximately 3–4 minutes on each side, turning carefully with a slotted spoon.
The batter should become crisp and golden brown while the fish cake inside heats through.
Once cooked, remove the cakes from the oil and place them on kitchen paper to drain.
Allow the oil to return to temperature before cooking the next batch.

Equipment

Notes

Serving Suggestions:

Serve the fish cakes hot with Bajan pepper sauce, which provides the perfect fiery contrast to the crisp batter.

They are also excellent served inside fresh salt bread with butter. For a larger meal, serve them alongside salad, coleslaw or sliced cucumber.

Cook's Notes:

Keep the shaped fish cakes reasonably small. This helps them heat through before the batter becomes too dark.

Chilling the cakes before dipping them also makes them easier to handle.

Use cold water when making the batter. This helps produce a lighter, crisper coating.

Do not add too much salt to either the fish mixture or the batter. Salt cod can remain surprisingly salty even after soaking.

For the best result, fry the cakes shortly after coating them. The batter can become heavy if it sits on the fish cakes for too long.

The finished fish cakes should have a crisp, golden batter on the outside and a soft, savoury, well-seasoned fish filling inside. That contrast is what makes this version especially good.

Nutrition