Fishcake pickle

Sara Niemand, a local fisherwoman, shares her authentic traditional seafood recipe with us. Buy the book, Beyond the Blue – Women of the Sea, to read her and 16 other fisherwomen’s stories.

Sara Niemand (left) shares her story in Beyond the Blue.

Fishcake Pickle

Sara Niemand from Buffeljagsbaai

Ingredients

FISH CAKES

• 2 kg silverfish or cape bream

• 1 x 50 g-packet of white onion soup powder (the creamy one)

• A bunch of parsley, chopped

• 1 tsp (5 ml) fine nutmeg

• 4 tsp (20 ml) fish spice

• 1 egg

• 4-5 potatoes, boiled and mashed

• 2 tsp (10 ml) lemon-and-herb spice

• Salt, pepper and Aromat, to taste

PICKLE SAUCE

• 6 large onions

• 1 cup (250 ml) water

• 1 bay leaf

• Fish spice, to taste

• 3 cups (750 ml) vinegar

• 1 kg sugar

• ½ packet 11-in-one spice

• 4 tsp (20 ml) turmeric

Directions

FISH CAKES

1. Steam fish in a pot with salt and pepper, to taste.

2. Flake the fish and debone. Add the soup powder, nutmeg, parsley, Aromat and lemon-and-herb spice. Add mashed potato and egg.

3. Mix well and form balls. Deep fry the balls in oil and allow to cool.

PICKLE SAUCE

1. Bring the ingredients of the pickle sauce to a boil and simmer until well cooked through. Pour over the fried fish cakes and enjoy with freshly baked bread.

To read more about Sara Niemand and the other fisherwomen featured in Beyond the Blue, buy the book here.