Gary Rhodes Salt Fish Cakes

Ingredients

• 125 g salt cod, or smoked fish, cooked, drained and flaked 
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped
• 1 tsp finely chopped shallots, or spring onions
• 1 tsp thyme, leaves
• 1 tsp marjoram, leaves
• 275 g flour
• 2 heaped tsp baking powder
• 300 ml milk
• 100 ml water
• vegetable oil, for deep fat frying

TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS

1. Mix the flaked salt fish with the onion, scotch bonnet pepper, shallots, herbs, flour and baking powder.
2. Pour in the milk and water and stir until you have a slack dough-like mixture, loose enough to just fall off the spoon. Add a little more water if necessary.
3. Heat the oil in a large pan for deep-frying. It should be hot enough that a cube of bread sizzles when dropped in. Dip the head of a metal tablespoon into the oil then use to scoop up spoonfuls of the salt fish mixture (the oil will stop the mixture sticking to the spoon). Drop into the hot oil and fry in batches until golden and crisp.
4. Carefully remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain off excess oil on kitchen paper. Serve while still hot and crisp.