Cod cakes in tomato sauce from Jerusalem (page 225) by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

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Notes about this recipe

  • annabelle_dc3563 on May 30, 2026

    I really liked this recipe!! I pulsed the fish in the food processor after making the breadcrumbs, I couldn’t be bothered to finely chop it by hand. The sauce is a bit sweet but I loved it with the fish. I thought the combination of fresh herbs and cumin was spot on. I would def make this again!!

  • annabelle_dc3563 on May 30, 2026

    I really liked this recipe!! I pulsed the fish in the food processor after making the breadcrumbs, I couldn’t be bothered to finely chop it by hand. The sauce is a bit sweet but I loved it with the fish. I thought the combination of fresh herbs and cumin was spot on. I would def make this again!!

  • joanne761994 on January 15, 2026

    Very tasty! I took out half the cumin in the fishcakes and added some passatta to the sauce to make more of it. Everyone loved it. The fish cakes were light and flavourful. I blended the bread first, then blended the onion, garlic and herbs together, then blended up the fish. I added all the blended ingredients to a bowl and hand mixed the egg in. It definitely needed to be chilled to help firm up the fish cakes- I made ahead so the were chilled for 4 hours prior to cooking. Served with flat breads and salad.

  • MarciK on May 02, 2025

    I really enjoyed this, but wanted to list my substitutions and things I’d do differently. I used mostly cod with a small bit of halibut. I wished I used the food processor for the fish and onions. The fish cakes would have held together better. They were quite wet. After shaping and letting rest, I put it all back in a bowl, added panko bread crumbs and an extra egg, and reshaped. Most then held together with care. I used an orange Serrano in place of the red chili because of availability. Me and my son aren’t much a fan of cumin. In the fish, I used 1.5 tbs ground coriander and 1/4 tsp cumin. The spices were subtle, and I was glad to be able to taste the fish. In the sauce, I used extra coriander and paprika and 1/4 tsp cumin. I couldn’t taste any cumin, and I appreciated that. Next time I’d use puréed tomatoes instead of petite diced. I also used chicken stock with a splash of champagne vinegar instead of wine. Honestly, I’d also double the sauce recipe. I would have liked more sauce

  • lholtzman on November 26, 2024

    I’ve made this twice and liked the first preparation a lot more than the first. 12/4/19 - I added all ingredients for the cod cakes except the eggs to the food processor. Once chopped together, I put in a bowl and added the beaten eggs and mixed by hand. I found these to be light and kid friendly. I used cod, panko bread crumbs and 2 large eggs. 11/20/24 - I was pretty disappointed this time around. I decided to follow the directions in terms of preparation. I chopped the cod by hand, which wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. I used fresh bread crumbs and 3 large eggs. I used 1.5 tsps of Morton’s Kosher salt. The result was a bit too eggy and too salty. I also found the diced tomatoes in the sauce off-putting. If I make again I will return to the food processor method with only two large eggs. I will use Diamond Kosher salt or halve if I use Morton’s. I will also use crushed tomatoes instead of diced in the sauce.

  • treay on November 11, 2024

    I wanted to try a new recipe for fish cakes - we like them and I have tried a few. This one is just delish. According to the book, it is a typical Sephardic recipe. It is a very popular recipe, perfect for large family gatherings. It can be prepared ahead, and they are almost better the day after they are cooked. They can be served with bulgar, rice, couscous or bread. Have made it several times and has never disappointed.

  • luluf on October 22, 2021

    Like some others, I was a bit disappointed with this. The fish taste was overpowered by the cumin and the cakes were too soft. The tomato sauce was lovely but I won’t bother making this again

  • DePollepel on August 25, 2021

    lekker, can be made slightly ahead

  • KarinaFrancis on August 23, 2021

    I thought these were just ok. The texture of the fish cakes was really soft and the flavour was too subtle for the sauce (which was fantastic) Maybe I should have used a more flavourful fish?

  • Zosia on September 30, 2018

    Family and I enjoyed the flavour of this dish but everyone thought the fish cakes were too soft. I omitted the sugar from the sauce and used the food processor to make the patty mixture.

  • jennyed on January 05, 2018

    We liked this. A good combination of mild fishcakes in a really tasty sauce. It's a good "plan-ahead" dish.

  • raybun on April 25, 2017

    We loved this, child and all! I used a whole 800g can of San Marzano tomatoes as I didn't want a half can hanging around in the fridge, and I used vermouth instead of white wine. A real hit here and it went very well with his sweetcorn polenta. Can't wait for leftovers tomorrow!

  • FJT on April 21, 2017

    This was a very mild, but tasty dish. Nice, but I probably won't make it again as it didn't get much reaction from my family.

  • cjross on April 15, 2017

    Tasty. A little time intensive so won't make it too often but I would make it again. Letting the fish cakes sit in the fridge really helped them firm up.

  • adelina on February 20, 2017

    Really loved the flavors but my cakes were too watery and were breaking. I might cut the onion in half next time. Also to save time, I will bake the cakes in the oven. The flavors otherwise were perfect. I just added a little sumac and Aleppo pepper to the cakes for some heat and tart and served over rice.

  • WFPLCleanEating on October 31, 2015

    Lovely dish though I found the sauce too sweet - I'll skip the sugar next time. A timesaver is to chop the herbs in the processor with the breadcrumbs. I wouldn't use it for mincing the fish though as I like the texture of flakes of fish. I didn't like the idea of pouring water on the sauce and fishcakes so I mixed the water into the sauce before putting the fishcakes in. Next time I will plan further ahead and chill the cakes as that would maybe help for flipping them - some broke up. - Jane

  • Chopchopchoppin on April 17, 2015

    Lovely flavours, doesn't take too long. Replaced white wine with white wine vinegar - tangy!

  • mondraussie on November 23, 2014

    Fantastic flavours. Definitely will try a food processor to mince the fish next time!

  • chefoncall on July 04, 2014

    This dish was very flavorful and a big hit with the family. Next time, I will use the food processor to mince the fish.

  • mcvl on June 25, 2014

    Good. I would never make the dish as described -- I put all the ingredients for the dishcakes in the blender, then fried the cakes, then built the sauce around the frying cakes.

  • Delys77 on January 08, 2013

    Pg 225 This dish is an excellent way to introduce fish to people who don't particularly enjoy it. Cod is quite mild, and when paired with the herbs and the breadcrumbs the result is a very lovely texture, with a hint of fish and herb. No single flavour truly dominated the cake, it was perfectly balanced. The sauce with its slight spicy sweetness pairs very well with the cakes, just be careful to make sure you simmer it on a very low heat so that the sugar doesn't cause it to stick. Great meal.

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