There are still fishing boats of different sizes right along the Kent and Sussex coast. Fishing has always been an important industry around the British coast. Most of them operate from a harbour, but some of them are beached and have to be towed into the water, mainly in Deal, Hythe, Dungeness and Hastings.
The fishing industry has sadly declined nowadays, but there are still quite a lot of licenced boats, which is good to know, as you can’t beat the taste of freshly-caught fish!
I go to Hastings several times a year and I buy my fish straight off the beach.
Do try this recipe as it’s easy to prepare, and it makes the fish go a long way.
It’s called Twice Laid Fishcakes because it includes chopped hard-boiled eggs.
My advice is, keep your board and your hands well-floured, and handle the fishcakes as little as possible as they are quite delicate.
All measurements are approximate.
12 ozs white fish. It was originally made with cod. I used huss, but any filleted white fish will do.
1/2 pt milk, enough to cover the fish
12 ozs cooked mashed potatoes
A knob of butter
2 hard-boiled eggs
I beaten egg
breadcrumbs
Seasoning
Flour
Place the fish in a saucepan, cover with milk and simmer gently for around 6 minutes, until the flesh is breaking up.
Grease a baking tray. Heat the oven to 190C/375, gas mark 5.
Gently lift the fish out of the pan, reserving the milk.
I easily scraped the flesh of the huss off the long, hard bone.
Mix the fish and potatoes together, adding a knob of butter, and a little milk to help to bind it together.
I used a hand mixer, which made it light and creamy.
Season it to taste.
Chop the two hard-boiled eggs into small pieces and gently stir them into the fish mixture.
Thickly cover your board and hands with flour and, using a spoon, scoop out some of the mixture, gently roll them into balls, then dip them with the beaten egg and roll them in the breadcrumbs.
Place the balls on the baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until they are golden and crisp on the outside.
They will still be soft inside.
The balls will flatten in the oven as they cook.
I served mine with straw potatoes and samphire. But a salad would be just as tasty!
Samphire is a salty plant that grows on the coast. I buy some when I go to Hastings.
I gently heat it in water and serve it with fish.
