Meatless Monday: Cod Cakes (recipe, pareve, passover)

Cod Cakes P Yield: 8 Cod Cakes

Cod is a medium firm white fish with a delicate flavor. It flakes easily and lends itself to absorbing many different flavors. These cod cakes are light, satisfying and so “non-fishy” that even your guests who shy away from fish will love them. They make a great light lunch, dinner or late afternoon snack.
Prep time: 60 min.  Cooking time: 15 min.
Ingredients
1 ¾ pounds fillet of cod-skin off
2 bay leaves
6 peppercorns
Juice of 1 small lemon
1 medium red onion
2 carrots
1 stalk celery
1 red pepper
1 large clove garlic
¼ cup fresh dill-chopped
½ cup matza meal
3 eggs
2 cups matza meal/ground nuts-
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
Equipment
Pan to poach fish
Electric food processor
Medium skillet with cover
Medium mixing bowl
2 shallow bowls
Directions

1. Rinse cod and place in pan with water to barely cover. Add bay leaves and pepper corns. Bring to a boil and quickly reduce to a simmer. Simmer about 10 minutes on one side before carefully flipping fillet over and finish poaching on other side. Be sure fish is completely opaque before removing from liquid. Place poached cod in mixing bowl and flake. Remove any peppercorns that might have gotten stuck in fish. Sprinkle with lemon juice and cool.
2. Peel onion, garlic and carrots. Cut into chunks and place in bowl of processor. Wash and chunk celery and add to processor. Rinse, core and chunk pepper and add to other vegetables. Pulse vegetables until they are minced.
3. Pour ½ cup oil in skillet. Heat over medium flame. Add vegetables and stir well. Reduce heat and cook vegetables until they are very soft and the carrots can be broken with the back of a wooden spoon. Allow vegetables to cool.
4. Drain cod again before mixing with cooked vegetables, one beaten egg, matza meal and dill. Taste. Season with salt and pepper  to taste. Form eight patties with your hands making sure not to pack them too tightly. Set aside.
5. Pour matza meal/ground nuts in one shallow bowl. Beat remaining two eggs in another shallow bowl.
6. Dredge cod cakes in matza meal/nuts, then in egg, and again in matza meal/nuts. Chill them for 30 minutes before frying.
7. Pour ½ cup oil in skillet. Heat over medium flame.  Carefully, place three or four cod cakes in skillet and brown on one side before turning them over and browning on second side.  If you have used nuts-lower the heat and be careful the codcakes don’t burn. Add more oil as needed. Drain cooked cod cakes on paper towel before arranging them on serving platter. Serve with Caper Mayonnaise or cocktail sauce.