Cod Cakes with Lobster Tartar Sauce

LUCKY HANK’S, EDGARTOWN

There are as many recipes for cod cakes as there are for chowder. What makes the cakes at Lucky Hank’s one of the most popular dishes? Sweet chunks of poached cod (unlike the stringy shredded cod you’ll often find) and the lack of filler, like potato. The signature dish of owner and chef Doug Smith, the cakes, topped with a lobster tartar sauce (that’s also fantastic as a filling for deviled eggs), have been on the menu since day one. Once you have these cod cakes in your repertoire, you’ll come to depend on them for brunch, lunch, and dinner. 

Ingredients

Lobster Tartar Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 ounce cooked lobster meat, finely diced, about 2 tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, chives, and tarragon
• 1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and finely diced
• 1⁄4 cup sweet relish
• 1⁄4 cup diced dill pickle
• 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cod Cakes

• 2 pounds cod fillet
• 2 quarts whole milk
• 2 bay leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1⁄2 small green bell pepper, finely diced and patted dry
• 1⁄2 small red bell pepper, finely diced and patted dry
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, chives, and tarragon
• 1 tablespoon dried dill
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1⁄2 cup full-fat sour cream
• 1⁄4 cup good-quality mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 ^1/3 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Make the lobster tartar sauce:
   • In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, lobster meat, shallot, capers, herbs, egg, sweet relish, dill pickles, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
2. Make the cod cakes:
   • Combine the cod, milk, and bay leaves in a medium saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Place over medium-low heat and cook until the cod whitens and becomes flaky, about 15 minutes.
   • Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, collecting the liquid in a heatproof container. Remove and discard bay leaves. (Once cooled, the poaching liquid can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; it makes a great base for chowder.)
   • In a large bowl, combine the cooked cod, scallions, shallot, bell peppers, herbs, dill, eggs, sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, and 1/3 cup of the panko.
   • Gently fold to combine without breaking up the cod.
   • Place the remaining 2 cups panko in a shallow dish.Divide the cod mixture into 10 equal portions and form each into a cake. Place 1 cake in the panko and gently press to coat on all sides. Transfer to a large plate and repeat with remaining cakes. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
   • In a nonstick skillet large enough to hold 5 cakes in a single layer, combine 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil. Place over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add half of the cakes to the skillet and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. (The cod is already cooked so the cakes just need to get nicely browned.) Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and cook the remaining cakes.
   • Serve hot with the lobster tartar sauce on the side.