Cod Fish Cakes — The Fritters That Carry the Flavor of Home

It is the end of June and Hartford is in full summer mode, which means the Puerto Rican Festival is coming next month and the park on Main Street smells like alcapurrias frying and the bodega on Park Street has tripled their plantain order and everything feels a little bit like the island. Not all the way like the island — Hartford will never be Bayamon, no matter how many flags we hang or how loud we play salsa — but close enough to make the homesickness manageable.

I have been thinking about alcapurrias all week. You know alcapurrias? Fritters made from grated green banana and yautia, stuffed with seasoned ground beef, deep fried until the outside is golden and crispy and the inside is soft and savory and perfect. They are street food in Puerto Rico — you buy them from a kiosk at the beach, wrapped in paper, eaten standing up with hot sauce dripping down your wrist. In Hartford, I make them in my kitchen and they are just as good because the recipe is the same and the love is the same even if the ocean is missing.

I made a batch on Saturday — thirty of them, because I do not know how to make a small batch of anything. I brought some to the hospital for my staff on Monday. Maria from the dietary team, who is Dominican, tasted one and said it reminded her of her grandmother back in Santo Domingo. That is the highest compliment food can receive, mi amor — when it reminds someone of their grandmother. That means the food has love in it, and love is the only ingredient that cannot be faked.

Sofia is babysitting this summer for a neighbor family, making her own money, growing up faster than I am ready for. She came home tonight with thirty dollars and a sunburn and asked me to teach her how to make arroz con pollo. ASKED ME. My sixteen-year-old, who usually acts like the kitchen is a museum she has no interest in visiting, asked me to teach her my arroz con pollo. I did not cry. I did not fall over. I calmly said, Of course, mija, put on an apron. And then I taught her — the sofrito first, always the sofrito first, then the chicken browned in the pot, then the rice, then the water and the olives and the capers and the pimientos, lid on, low heat, patience.

She burned the rice a little. I said nothing. The first time I made arroz con pollo, I burned it so badly that Mami threw the pot away. Some lessons require sacrifice. Sofia will learn. The rice will come. The most important thing is that she asked, and I was there to teach her, and the kitchen was full of the sound of oil popping and my daughter saying, Like this, Mami? and me saying, Yes, mija, exactly like that.

I said I have been thinking about alcapurrias all week, and that is true — but what I did not say is that not every week has time for thirty fritters. Some weeks you need the same crispy, golden comfort in a simpler form, and that is where these cod fish cakes come in. They have the same spirit: something savory and satisfying formed by hand and fried until the outside is perfectly golden, the kind of thing you eat standing at the stove before they even make it to the plate. I made these the same night Sofia asked me to teach her the arroz con pollo, and she ate three of them without looking up — which, from a teenager, is the second-highest compliment food can receive.

Cod Fish Cakes

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4 (makes about 8 cakes)

Ingredients

• 1 lb cod fillets, cooked and flaked
• 1 cup mashed potatoes (cooled)
• 1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs, plus more for coating
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying (plus more as needed)
• Lemon wedges and hot sauce, for serving

Instructions

1. Cook the cod. If starting from raw, poach or bake the cod fillets until just cooked through, about 10–12 minutes at 400°F. Let cool, then flake into a large bowl, removing any bones.
2. Mix the cakes. Add the mashed potatoes, onion, garlic, parsley, beaten egg, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne (if using), and 1/2 cup breadcrumbs to the bowl with the cod. Mix gently until combined — do not overwork it or the cakes will be dense.
3. Shape and coat. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Form each into a patty about 3/4-inch thick. Press each patty lightly into additional breadcrumbs to coat both sides.
4. Chill (optional but recommended). Place the coated patties on a plate, cover, and refrigerate for 15 minutes. This helps them hold together in the pan.
5. Fry until golden. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the patties 3–4 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp on the outside. Add more oil between batches as needed. Do not crowd the pan.
6. Drain and serve. Transfer cooked fish cakes to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and hot sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 290 | Protein: 26g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 480mg