These crispy little potato cakes are full of buttery Blue Cod, tart cornichons, topped with garlicky aioli and glistening salty Paua Mince which almost acts like caviar. They can be made larger for a main meal or smaller for nibbles.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4-6
 Recipe by Gretchen Lowe, My Weekend Table

 

INGREDIENTS

Potato Cakes

2 medium Agria potatoes, scrubbed, skin on
2 garlic cloves, grated
½ cup chives, finely sliced
Zest of a lemon
½ cup cornichons (or gherkins), thinly sliced
1 egg
¼ cup flour
½  cup vegetable oil for frying (or more if needed)
Salt and pepper to taste

 

Blue Cod

2 x pieces Chatham Blue Cod, thawed and patted dry
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp olive oil

 

Aioli

½ cup good mayonnaise
1 clove garlic crushed
¼ cup chives, finely sliced

 

Paua

2 tbsp butter
200g Paua Mince, thawed
Juice of half a lemon

 

METHOD

1. Add whole potatoes to a large saucepan of water and bring to a boil then cook for a further 10-15 minutes until par-boiled. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Coat the blue cod in flour and season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat half the olive oil in a heavy based pan. Add the blue cod pieces and let sizzle on one side until golden for 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip the fillets and cook for another 2 minutes or so until cooked. Set aside.
4. To make the potato cakes, grate potatoes and flake the blue cod into chunks with a fork.
5. Combine potatoes and cod in a bowl with garlic, chives, lemon zest, cornichons and egg. Sieve in flour, season generously with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Form into medium sized patties or smaller for nibbles.
6. For the aioli, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
7. Heat about 1cm of oil in a large heavy frypan over medium-high heat. When oil is sizzling hot, place the potato cakes in the pan and cook, turning once, until golden and crispy (2-2½ minutes each side). Repeat with remaining oil.
8. While hash cakes are cooking, flash fry the paua mince in a separate pan by heating butter until bubbling. Add paua and cook for 1 minute, breaking up with a spoon as you go. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Remove from the pan and set aside.
9. Serve potato cakes topped with aioli, paua and extra chives if you wish.

 

This recipe was created using our award-winning Paua Mince and Chatham Island Blue Cod...