FISH CAKE

One of the most popular entrees of our gastronomy

It is one of the most classic entrees of Spanish cuisine. The fish cake, also called “Pastel de Cabracho”, because of the type of fish used, is a simple recipe to make that is usually present in every festive celebration.

According to the story, the original recipe can be found in the book “The complete kitchen” of the gourmet María Mesteyer, known as the Marquesa de Parabere, which was published in Madrid in 1933.

This cake is popular in Basque cuisine, it can be found along the entire coast of the Cantabrian Sea. The Basque chef Juan Mari Arzak, from Arzak restaurant in San Sebastián, is one of the main supporters of this dish.

One of the fundamental tricks when cooking it is to ensure that the cooking temperature is not excessive, preventing the water from boiling, so that when it sets down, it does not leave holes. The result should be juicy and creamy.

Select the best fish and prepare this cake together with a S.Pellegrino.

Ingredients for 8 portions

• 350 g of white fish fillets, skinless (hake, cod, etc.)
• 150 g prawns, peeled
• 100 ml of milk
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 black peppercorns
• 250 g homemade fried tomato
• 250 g of liquid cream for cooking
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Butter
• Breadcrumbs
• Ground black pepper
• Mayonnaise sauce to decorate
• Tomato sauce to decorate

Step by step elaboration

1. Place the fish fillets, prawns, bay leaves and peppercorns in a pan. Boil with the milk. Cover the pan and boil over low heat for 6–8 minutes.
2. Let the fish and prawns cool down inside the casserole before removing, discarding the milk, bay leaf and pepper. Chop with your fingers.
3. Mix the cooked fish and prawns with the homemade fried tomato, the cream, the eggs and a teaspoon of salt.
4. Spread the inside of two ceramic molds with a little butter and then sprinkle with breadcrumbs until the entire interior is well covered. Flip to remove excess.
5. Fill the molds with the fish mixture, sprinkle with ground black pepper and cover with transparent film.
6. Steam for about 1 hour or until, when inserting a skewer, it comes out clean.
7. Allow it to cool down inside the molds before putting in the fridge.
8. Unmold once it is very cold and decorate with mayonnaise sauce and fried tomato before bringing it to the table and serving.

Tips

• The fish cake can be cooked in small dishes and placed individually, as an entree. In this case it is necessary to reduce the cooking time.
• You can also cut the fish cake and present it on lettuce leaves, as a snack to eat with your fingers. An alternative to steaming the cake is the water bath, in the oven, at 160º C for the same period of time.
• Cake decoration is optional. Instead of mayonnaise and tomato sauce, it can be decorated with boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, trout, etc.