Aside from that one bad experience with a Dover sole (it was probably just a virus), if given a choice, I will still choose the seafood. My boys like fish, too, and Miss Eight eats it sometimes, which is better than nothing. They also like most anything made into a little fritter, even if they won’t eat it otherwise (i.e., zucchini).

I love the transformative power of the fritter to turn scraps (or good food that some people think they don’t like) into a perfectly lovely meal.

I was digging through the freezer, attempting to use up some bits of this and that, and decided to try making some fish cakes with two small tilapia fillets and about half a pound of smoked mackerel (left over from brunch a few months ago). I quickly pan-fried the tilapia, and then flaked it into the mixing bowl with the mackerel. I wasn’t sure how the smoked fish would fly with my taste testers, but I got one “Really good!”, one “Cleaned my plate!”, one “Tastes better than it smells,” and one “How many bites do I have to eat?” I thought these little fish cakes were delicious. I like smoked fish on a bagel, so it really isn’t such a surprise. Granted, the frying fish smell was a little strong, but nothing that some open windows and a pine-scented candle couldn’t erase.

You can use whatever fish you have, really–canned, grilled, smoked. Because I had a high proportion of smoked fish, I didn’t add much seasoning, but if you have a mild fish you will want to add salt, pepper, a dash of Worcestershire or soy sauce, and maybe some scallions or chives. In place of bread or cracker crumbs, you could use some mashed potato. Experiment!

Fish Cakes

     makes about ten 2 1/2–inch cakes

1 pound of cooked fish, skin and bones removed.

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

flour for dredging

neutral oil for frying

Stir together the egg and mayonnaise, and then fold in the remaining ingredients, breaking the fish into small chunks or flakes. Chill the mixture for at least 15 minutes.

Pour just enough oil into a large nonstick skillet to coat the bottom (about 3 Tbsp.) and turn the heat to medium-high. Scoop the fish mixture (about golf-ball size), press into small patties and dredge in flour. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Serve with remoulade sauce, tartar sauce, or any kind of sour cream or yogurty-dill sauce. To continue my thrifty theme, I puréed a little bit of this leftover salad and whisked in some mayonnaise.