Smoked Haddock and Champ Cakes is a traditional Northern Irish recipe for a classic fish cake made from a blend of champ (mash with spring onions) and smoked haddock cooked in milk that are fried to cook and served on a bed of spinach with a mustard-cream dressing. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Northern Irish version of: Smoked Haddock and Champ Cakes.
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This is the ultimate comfort food – perfect after the excesses of Christmas. Enjoy smoked haddock mixed with Northern Irish mashed potato and spring onion champ as cakes. The dish is finished with a delicious cream, spinach and mustard sauce. As smoked haddock (kippers) is a fairly cheap fish this is an economical recipe. You can even make this to use up leftover champ, making it even more economical.
Ingredients:
250ml whole milk
5 spring onions, chopped (including the green bits)
250g smoked haddock
300g floury potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
butter, for frying
200g young spinach, wilted
100ml single cream
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
Method:
Set a wide, shallow, lidded pan over medium heat. Add in the milk and spring onions and when the milk comes to a simmer add the fish, put on a lid, reduce the heat to a simmer and leave for a minute. Turn off the heat and leave for 5 minutes. Scoop out the fish and spring onions then flake the fish, discarding any skin and bone.
Put the potatoes in a pan of cold, salted, water. Bring to a simmer then cook for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain well then put back in the pan. Mash with a generous knob of butter. Leave until cooled then mix through the fish and onions and season.
Form into four even-sized cakes or patties. Set on a plate, transfer to your refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes.
Heat some oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When hot, use to fry the fish cakes for 4-5 minutes one each side until golden brown, crispy in places and heated through. Heat the cream and whisk in the mustard with a splash of water. Season o taste with salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
Sit the cakes on top of the spinach, spoon over the sauce and serve.
