Why do my fishcakes never work?!

[Tinkjon]

Fishcakes are just cooked fish mixed with mashed potato and then fried, yes? Well every single time I do them they just disintegrate in the pan and are so sloppy that they don't hold their shape. I don't add any liquid so I have no idea why this happens. I've tried coating them in breadcrumbs, adding oatmeal to dry the mix up a bit, adding egg yolk to bind it - but nothing makes a difference. We end up calling the fishcakes Tuna Splat

right -

mash
tuna
one egg yolk

then

flour
egg
breadcrumb

soz 1 hand typing

The egg is crucial. If mix is rather dry (depending on type of potatoes used) I would use 2 eggs. Or just 1 if sloppy mix.
As the eggs cook in the fish cakes it binds them together, so they hold their shape.

Have you tried the Jamie Oliver version on the Sainsburys card? Mix mash, tuna and chopped spring onion, shape into balls then oven bake.

They are not very nice though.

lol madamez, that's sold them to her

Also make sure the oil is hot before you put them in to fry or fishcakes will just absorb it all- hence mush.
And don't add anything to the potatoe when you mash it like you would if you were doing it to have on its own. Ie. butter, milk, cream.

Maybe your mashed potato is too sloppy? Have you tried letting the spuds sit in the pan to steam and dry out a bit before mashing them? And don't add any milk/cream/butter.

Have you tried chilling them for an hour before frying?

a friend of mine adds fried bacon to hers and scallions (I think) they are the most delicious thing I have ever eaten ..ever

I have a great techinique for nice fishcakes that never fall apart. I buy from from a shop. Honestly, works every time

they don't work because they are fishcakes, not people of employable age.

chill before cooking, so they hold their shape better. Oil must be hot, and then DON'T touch them for a couple of minutes. If you keep poking them they don't get a chance to form a nice crust.

Great tips there girls as mine always fall apart too and are greeted by general groans of agony!!

So - nothing added to mash - I always added oil butter etc and let oil get hot first and always add egg. Great tips!!!!

I don't think the mixture is too sloppy... maybe it's the egg - come to think of it, I haven't always used egg so maybe that's it. I'll give that a try next time, thanks everybody!

LOL, MsDemeanour!

never use egg

try making them and putting on floury plate with cling film over in fridge for few mins before frying

also resist temptation to turn them before they're crusty on one side

They never work because they don't come in a box marked M&S or Waitrose

M&S Salmon fishcakes are rank IMHO

I never use egg.
Breadcrumbs are added to fishcake mixture, not to coat them.
use flour to coat before frying in very hot oil

watch channel 4 NOW

i don't use egg either. make sure potato is not too wet and you have to put them in fridge for about 10 mins otherwise they do fall to bits and put them in hottish heat and leave them for 3 mins, don't touch them until a crust has formed, then flip over carefully

just noticed tattoedgrrl has written exactly the same!

Definitely chill them... it's the key to stopping them from falling apart.

Like other posters, I don't put egg in mix, but coat cakes in flour then egg then breadcrumbs, then into fridge for 30 mins.

Thanks everyone!