Top 8: these shop-bought fishcakes are the reel thing

Pic: iStock

Mother’s Day on Sunday week is a good opportunity for everyone to take it easy and serve a simple meal full of delicious flavours that will please all the family. Fishcakes are a good bet. 

Older children could give mum a break by using an air fryer to cook them but an adult will need to step in if a regular oven is needed. (Add a simple apple or rhubarb crumble to use it efficiently. You'll find plenty of recipes online from Mary Berry, Jaimie Oliver, Nigella and Odlums. Serve the crumble with plain yoghurt with a little vanilla or finely grated fresh ginger.)

A Marie Rose sauce made with shop-bought mayo and a squeeze of tomato puree or dessertspoon of tomato ketchup - easy for children to make - is delicious with fishcakes. To spice things up, swap the ketchup for chopped gherkins or capers, or add a dash of sriracha sauce. For style, decorate with micro greens and serve a grated carrot and sweet apple salad on the side – no need for a dressing. 

Steam or roast some seasonal beetroot, slice and, in my modified version of one of my most used cookbooks, Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi, add sliced steamed leeks and some halved walnuts, finishing with a vinaigrette, flavoured with (sweet and sour) tamarind water – worth having to hand for dressings. I buy in Mr Bell’s, English Market, Cork. 

Cinnamon Cottage Fish Cakes. Food Photos: Arna Rúnars Crowley

Cinnamon Cottage 200g €6.50

“A complete meal made with love”, said one taster – high praise from this discerning team member. Others agreed it had the cleanest tastes, the salmon, cod and smoked coley (the latter not oversmoked) coming through the potato for excellent balance with mustard, herbs and gentle seasoning with salt and pepper. Even the seven-month-old baby loved it. “Wholesome”, said another. From the shop at Rochestown Cork.

Score: 10 

Good's of Cork Fish Cakes

Good Fish Company 220g €2.95

A good 45% white fish had just the right amount of potato and salt (0.6%) for balance. Batter and breadcrumbs outside were light. “One of the freshest fish tastes of the selection with well-balanced seasoning” was the remark from one taster who echoed the team’s thoughts.

Score: 8.75

Ballycotton Seafood Fishcakes

Ballycotton Seafood 270g €2.10

Tasters liked the blend of 10% each farmed Atlantic salmon and Celtic sea cod (Gadus Morhua to those who wish to learn something today) and potatoes, well seasoned and coated in breadcrumbs made from rye sourdough. They also liked the two colcannon fishcakes (€2.70) with a gentle hint of cabbage, though a little too salty for two tasters. Good value for good quality.

Score: 8.5 

Aldi 2 Melt in the Middle Cod and Pea Fishcakes

Aldi Specially Selected 290g €3.49

Two offerings here caught tasters’ taste buds. ‘2 Melt in the Middle’ Cod & Pea (38% fish) vied with Katsu Cod (34% fish). The Cod & Pea with a tasty, smooth pea-based sauce has potato pieces, well flavoured with lemon, in a light batter which at 1.19% is quite salty. The Katsu has potato subtly flavoured with onion, ginger and soft chilli and low salt at 0.89% coated in breadcrumbs. A thumbs up from tasters for both.

Score: 8.25

Supervalu Quish's Melting Fishcakes

Quish’s SuperValu Smoked Cod, Salmon, Haddock 150g €4

‘Melting fishcakes’ states the label and they are just that. The mixed fish in a white sauce is flavoured with mustard resulting in a nice blend of flavours and coated in breadcrumbs which crisped up nicely. No breakdown of ingredients given as they are made and sold in-house.

Score: 8

M&S Made Without Gluten Free Cod Fishcakes

M&S Made Without Wheat Cod Fishcakes 170g €3.25

Gluten-free, a decent 42% cod, 23% potatoes, and rice and chickpea flours instead of wheat, have a good fish flavour perhaps helped by the dried potatoes which absorbed the fish stock, with onions, parsley, bay leaves, lemon juice resulting in a nice, fresh fish flavour liked by all tasters. The crust was slightly heavy and chewy, but the non-coeliacs said they would buy it. Salt is an acceptable 0.90%.

Score: 8

Youngs Smoked Haddock Mozzarella & Cheddar Fish Cakes

Young’s Gastro Signature Breaded Fish Cakes 500g €4

These have 20% smoked haddock and 13% Alaska pollock with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses which contribute smooth, creamy textures rather than any rich flavours of fish or cheese. Still, tasters liked the chunky potatoes, hint of mustard and low salt. A second in the range has mushy peas inside which oozed nicely, but at 22%, the fish content was lower than the other. We bought in Iceland.

Score: 7

Lidl Deluxe sweet chilli Salmon Fish Cakes

Lidl Deluxe Sweet Chilli Salmon 290g €3.49

Lots to taste here in this lightly textured blend of 22% each salmon and mashed potatoes with interesting additions of sweet chilli sweetness as well as brighter chilli in piri piri sauce, chilli purée, Thai red curry paste and tomato purée – none of it overdone. The crust is slightly chewy with some crispness. Tasters liked them. Made in Wexford with salmon farmed in Scotland and Norway.

Score: 8