Chicken Free Herb Cod Cakes with Lemon & Turmeric
These golden pan-fried cakes are a serious crowd-pleaser — flaky poached cod folded together with sweet potato, bright lemon zest, and a warm hit of turmeric that gives each patty a gorgeous color before it even hits the pan. The combination of fresh herbs — parsley, chives, scallion greens, and ginger — makes every bite feel lively and layered rather than flat or fishy. Cassava flour holds everything together and keeps the texture light, so you get a crisp crust from the coconut oil without anything feeling heavy or dense. Because the recipe is built entirely around seafood and plant-based ingredients, there's no need to swap anything out or second-guess a single line — it's naturally free of poultry from the ground up. Chilling the shaped patties before cooking is the quiet secret here: that 30-minute rest in the fridge is what lets them hold their shape and develop that deep, clean sear. Serve them straight from the skillet with a squeeze of lemon and they're honestly good enough to anchor a dinner party or a casual weeknight equally well.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the cod cakes
- 1 ½ lb cod fillets, skin removed
- ¾ cup mashed sweet potato (from about 1 medium sweet potato, cooked and cooled)
- ¼ cup cassava flour, plus more for dusting
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced (green tops only)
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
For cooking
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, divided
For serving
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
- fresh parsley sprigs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large skillet of salted water to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add the cod fillets and poach for 6–8 minutes, until the flesh is opaque throughout and flakes easily when pressed with a fork. Transfer to a plate and let cool for 10 minutes, then flake into small pieces with a fork, discarding any bones.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flaked cod, mashed sweet potato, cassava flour, scallion greens, parsley, chives, ginger, turmeric, lemon zest, and sea salt. Fold together until the mixture holds together when pressed — it should be firm enough to shape but not dry. If it feels too loose, add cassava flour 1 tsp at a time.
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