Maritime
Salt Cod Fish Balls
The Maritime weeknight staple
Before refrigeration, salt cod was how New Brunswick ate fish through the winter. Soaked, boiled, flaked, and bound with mashed potato — these fish balls from the 1941 IODE Fort Monckton cookbook are golden outside, soft and savoury within. Saturday night supper, without question.
Source: IODE Fort Monckton Cook Book, Moncton NB, 1941
Ingredients
- 1 lb salt cod, soaked overnight in cold water (change water twice)
- 2 cups mashed potato, well-seasoned
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 small onion, finely grated
- Pinch of white pepper
- Fat or butter for frying
Instructions
- Drain soaked salt cod and cover with fresh cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook gently 15–20 minutes until the fish flakes. Do not boil hard or it toughens.
- Drain well. Flake the fish finely with a fork, removing any bones and skin.
- Combine flaked fish with mashed potato, egg, and grated onion. Season with white pepper — salt is rarely needed given the cod.
- Shape into balls or flat cakes about the size of a golf ball.
- Heat fat in a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Fry fish balls in batches, turning, until deep golden brown on all sides — about 4 minutes per side.
- Drain briefly and serve immediately.
✦ Kitchen Notes
- From the IODE Fort Monckton Cook Book, Moncton NB, 1941.
- The overnight soak is not optional — it draws out the excess salt and plumps the fish. Two water changes are better than one.