White bass, also known as sand bass, are addicting in multiple ways. If you’ve ever felt these feisty little fish on the end of your line, you know how much fun they are to catch. If you’ve ever had them on your plate, you know how delicious they are to eat. As we discussed in our our last recipe post for Chile Lime White Bass, most of these fish end up in hot grease as fried filets. And while that time tested method certainly does produce one of the better mouthfuls of Texas freshwater fish, there are so many additional options at an angler’s disposal. For this one, you don’t even have to lose the oil! I will wager, however, that you are more likely to impress your guests with a batch of these White Bass Fish Cakes.

What is a White Bass Fish Cake

Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of the name fish cake. I’m also not too fond of the term meatloaf. That doesn’t stop me from devouring either one. A fish cake is essentially a mixture of diced veggies, herbs and seasonings, binders, and of corse, the fish. The veggies and fish are cooked separately, then everything is mixed together, formed into cakes, and fried. When done right, the result is undeniably delicious. Each bite of these white bass fish cakes highlights the meat, and has an amazing textural variety from the crispy outer crust, to the tender flakey white bass.

How to Cook White Bass Fish Cakes

Poach or Steam the White Bass

It may seem redundant to cook the fish twice, but the goal here is to reach a safe temp, and allow the meat to flake apart so you get a nice even texture when forming your cakes. I like to poach the fish, because it provides another opportunity to add flavor, and creates a really nice, silky texture. The secret is to use milk. Milk introduces some fat, and helps to remove any fishy taste. Usually white bass are really nice and clean tasting, but just in case you or your guide left them in the cooler a little longer than you’d prefer, using milk helps curb any resulting fishiness. Simply bring whole milk to a simmer in a medium sauce pan along with a generous sprinkle of salt, and any aromatics you’d like, such as garlic, onions, thyme etc. Allow the aromatics to cook for about 8 minutes, then add your fish, and simmer for another 4-6 minutes until the meat flakes easily.

Mix and Form the White Bass Fish Cakes

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients expect for the fish, and mix well. Add the white bass, and mix until a consistency similar to crab salad is reached. Now it’s time to form the white bass fish cakes, and here’s where you can get creative. You can free hand the cakes for a more rustic look, or use a 1/2 measuring cup to get a little more constancy. Finally, if you want to turn these bad boys into a perfect appetizer, simply scale down the size of your cakes and adjust the cooking time to accommodate.

Fry Baby!

Heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron, with enough oil to reach about halfway up your cakes. You’re looking for an oil temp of about 350 Fahrenheit. Fry till golden brown, flipping halfway through. Be sure not to crowd the pan, which can drop the oil temp too low, resulting in soggy cakes. No one wants soggy cakes, so fry in batches if you need.

How to Make Cilantro Lime Crema

True Crema is basically the Mexican version of sour cream. It’s similarly tangy, but much runnier. To make things easy here, we are simply thinning out sour cream and boosting the flavor by adding enough fresh lime juice to reach a drizzling consistency. Next we add the lime zest, minced cilantro, salt and pepper. And if you’re a hot sauce addict like me, add a few dashes of Tapatio. You can entire drizzle on top of the cakes, or serve in a dish on the side.

Substitutions

These cakes will work with any mild flaky fish, such as crappie, catfish, bluegill, striped bass etc.
The vegetable mixture is open to customization, but the provided mix suits my texan heart well
Sub the crema for an aioli, or any other condiment that sounds tasty to you.
As mentioned, I like to poach in milk, but feel free to use water, or white wine.