Sardine and Potato Cakes Main Dishes

Sardine and Potato Cakes

These pan-fried sardine cakes hold together with mashed potato and a little cornstarch. Serve them with crunchy cabbage and carrot slaw and a sharp lemon-skyr sauce.

By Lionel 26 Oct 2026 50 min total 66% in season in Northern North America · Oct 3 min read
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Ingredients

Preparation Steps

  1. Boil the potatoes

    Peel and cube the yellow potatoes, then simmer them in salted water until a fork slides through easily. Drain thoroughly and return them to the warm pan briefly to steam off excess moisture.

  2. Prepare the sardine mixture

    Mash the potatoes while still warm. Drain the sardines, break them into small flakes, then fold them into the mash with the cornstarch, chopped fresh parsley, black pepper and half of the salt.

  3. Shape the cakes

    Divide the mixture into eight equal portions and form thick, compact patties with damp hands. If they feel loose, leave the mixture to cool slightly before shaping.

  4. Make the slaw

    Finely shred the cabbage and grate the carrot. Toss with some of the lemon juice and the remaining salt until evenly coated.

  5. Stir together the sauce

    Mix the plain skyr and Dijon mustard with the remaining lemon juice and agave syrup until smooth.

  6. Pan-fry the cakes

    Heat the olive oil in a cast iron frying pan over medium heat. Cook the patties in batches until a deep golden crust forms, about three to four minutes per side. Turn them carefully with a wide spatula.

  7. Serve

    Divide the hot sardine cakes between plates and serve with the crunchy cabbage slaw and lemon-skyr sauce.

Recipe insights

How do the fishcakes hold together without eggs?

Starchy mashed potato binds the sardine flakes, and cornstarch firms up the surface as the cakes fry. Dry potatoes work better than wet mash; excess water makes the patties fragile so be sure to dry it in the pan if it still seems watery to you.

Getting a crisp crust without breaking the cakes

A medium-hot nonstick pan gives the cakes time to set before they are moved. If a patty resists lifting, let it cook a little longer rather than scraping it off early.

Can sardine potato cakes be made ahead?

Shape the patties and refrigerate them covered for up to a day before frying. Keep the sauce and slaw separate so the cabbage stays crisp; reheat cooked cakes thoroughly in a pan.

Add onions

I did not want any fight with the children at dinner so I kept the texture smooth and acceptable for those little ***. But I think these patties would even be better with some caramelized onions, so if you don't have any difficult person to eat with, just add some caramelized onion to the potato mixture.

Eat it with a sauce

I may not be objective but these patties were already pretty good, but I did add siratcha and they were even better. So go for the sauce of your choice (keep it healthy come on - Is siratcha healthy? It's another debate..) !

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