What do you do with a pound of frozen fish fillets? My first choice is usually to give them a crust of some kind, pan-fry them, and drizzle on some kind of citrus reduction, but for some reason the idea of crab cakes — fish cakes — was in my mind, so I went with it. The idea is this: chop up fish, add cooked aromatics of some kind, add an egg, mix, form patties, top with a crust, and bake. You could also fry, of course, but baking yields more satisfying results, at least to this palate. Adding fresh ginger to the aromatics could only be a good thing, I reasoned; there’s something about the combo of fish and ginger that is so utterly natural and right. They turned out to be absolutely delicious, a formula well worth remembering and repeating.
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* olive oil, butter
* 1 large leek, white and light green parts, minced
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
* 1 pound white fish fillets (I used wild-caught mahi mahi), rinsed, dried, and finely chopped
* 1 fennel bulb, minced
* 1 egg
* 1 tablespoon finely ground pink lentils
Preheat oven to 450. Melt the oil and butter in a cast iron or other heavy skillet, add the leek and ginger, and season generously with s&p. Saute on gentle heat for about five minutes, until everything softens. While that cooks, combine the fish with the fennel and egg, and gently mix. Add the sauteed leek/ginger combo, and shape into patties — you should get four. Sprinkle the tops of the cakes with the ground pink lentils, spray with olive oil, place on a silpat (or parchment paper)-lined baking sheet, and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the top is crispy brown. Serve with a side of pickled ginger, some rice, and a simple salad.
