A brilliant way to turn shop-bought fishcakes into a full and satisfying family meal. Warm pea and bacon salad, topped with a cod fishcake and finished with a runny poached egg. Yum!
This post was written in collaboration with The Saucy Fish Co. All opinions are my own.
Easy weeknight meal alert! When time is tight, ready-made items from the freezer can be a real lifesaver. These Saucy Fish Co. Cod Fishcakes — with a Smashing Cheddar and Parsley centre — are one of those handy shortcuts that still feel special.
The fishcakes are cod and potato, coated in breadcrumbs and filled with an oozy cheddar sauce. They cook straight from frozen in about 25 minutes and are available in The Food Warehouse by Iceland nationwide.
There are three flavours: Cod with Smashing Cheddar & Parsley, Salmon with a Creamy Lemon Centre, and Smoked Haddock with Vintage Cheddar. Any of the varieties work well with the warm pea and bacon salad in this recipe.
When serving potato-style fishcakes, I like something more substantial than a simple leafy salad but lighter than chips or bread. This warm pea and bacon salad hits that sweet spot: it’s filling, bright and quick to make while the fishcakes cook.
The salad combines fried bacon, red onion, peas and pea shoots, finished with a squeeze of lemon. Top each plate with a hot cod fishcake and a runny poached egg for an extra hit of comfort and protein.
How to assemble
- Preheat the oven and cook the fishcakes from frozen (they come in packs of four).
- Fry chopped bacon in a large pan until golden, remove and keep the bacon fat in the pan.
- Lower the heat and cook sliced red onion in the bacon-flavoured oil until softened.
- Add peas, seasoning and the bacon back to the pan, heating until the peas are hot.
- Poach the eggs while the peas finish cooking, then drain on kitchen paper.
- Turn off the heat, toss pea shoots and lemon juice into the pea and bacon mixture to slightly wilt the shoots.
- Spoon the warm pea mix onto plates, top with a cod fishcake and a poached egg. Finish with black pepper and chopped parsley if you like.
This all comes together comfortably in about the same time the fishcakes take to cook, making it a perfect mid-week family dinner.
Other serving suggestions for these fishcakes
- Cod fishcake burger: toasted brioche, pickled red onion, pea shoots and mustard mayo, with skin-on garlic & parsley fries.
- Cod fishcakes on buttery kale and cheddar orzo with lemon zest for a heartier option.
- Serve with greens (green beans, asparagus or tenderstem broccoli) and a warm ravigote-style sauce made with stock, capers, herbs and Dijon mustard.
- Fishcakes with cheesy mash and garlic prawns for an indulgent treat.
How would you serve them? These Cod Fishcakes with Smashing Cheddar and Parsley Centre are available in The Food Warehouse by Iceland nationwide.
The Cod Fishcakes with Bacon and Pea Salad Recipe:
Cod Fishcakes with Bacon and Pea Salad
Ingredients
- 4 Saucy Fish Co. cod fishcakes
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 strips bacon, chopped
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 225 g (1 1/2 cups) fresh peas or frozen petits pois (no need to thaw)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 40 g (2 cups) packed pea shoots
- Juice of half a lemon
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Cook the fishcakes in the oven according to the pack instructions (about 25 minutes at 200°C/400°F fan).
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat.
- Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned and golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil for the poached eggs, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Add the sliced onion to the frying pan (there should be some bacon-flavoured oil). Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 3 minutes until softened.
- Add the peas, salt and pepper and cook for 4–5 minutes or until the peas are hot. Stir the bacon back in.
- Bring the water back to a rolling simmer. Break each egg into a small bowl and gently tip into the water to poach. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until the whites are set but the yolks remain soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
- Turn off the heat. Add the pea shoots to the pea and bacon pan, squeeze in the lemon juice and toss to coat and slightly wilt the shoots.
- Spoon the warm pea mixture onto four plates. Top each with a cod fishcake and a poached egg. Serve immediately with a grind of black pepper and chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
Nutritional information is per serving and is an approximation.
Nutrition
Calories: 492 kcal | Carbohydrates: 28 g | Protein: 27 g | Fat: 30 g | Saturated Fat: 12 g | Cholesterol: 185 mg | Sodium: 1025 mg | Fiber: 7 g | Sugar: 5 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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