Creole-Style African Fish Patties with Pontchartrain Sauce

Golden brown on the outside and tender on the inside, these Creole-style African Fish Patties are seasoned with Creole spices, pan-fried, and paired with a rich and creamy Creole-style Pontchartrain sauce prepared from spices of the African diaspora. This dish is bursting with flavor at each bite.

Cajun-style African Fish Patties

This elevated fish cake, paired with a rich, savory sauce, establishes a connection between the flavors of our past and those of the present. To forge an intersection of culture and cuisines, I combined techniques used in South African style cooking (the fish patties) and paired it with a popular sauce in Creole cooking (the Pontchartrain sauce).

African and Cajun spices

For this further expand this culinary fusion, I then swapped the flavors and spices used in each part of the recipe. For example, the South African fish patties are seasoned with Creole ingredients and spices (like Creole seasoning, celery, and green bell pepper), while the traditional Creole Pontchartrain sauce is prepared using spices from the African diaspora (like curry and harissa). It’s a flavor explosion!

drizzling pontchartrain sauce on african fish cakes

Golden brown on the outside and tender on the inside, these fish cakes are the perfect appetizer. This new “take” on fish patties will certainly tempt those new (or revisiting) African and Cajun flavors to try something new.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Cajun-style African Fish Patties
  • You’ll need fresh flounder, yellow potatoes, white onion, celery, green bell pepper, and an organic egg for the fish patties.
  • The crispy exterior of the patty is prepared using Panko breadcrumbs, all-purpose flour, and Creole seasoning.
  • The seasoning for the fish patties will include onion powder, garlic powder, red cayenne pepper, basil flakes, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper.
  • And you’ll need a little olive oil to pan-fry the patties.
  • The Pontchartrain Sauce all starts with an easy roux made with butter, all-purpose flour, and minced garlic.
  • You’ll also need heavy cream, lemon juice, kosher seafood stock, grated parmesan cheese, white onion, celery, and hot sauce.
  • And we can’t forget the seasonings for the sauce, which include ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, ground allspice, nutmeg, ginger, harissa, sea salt, and black pepper.

Tips when making your fish patties and sauce:

Tips
  • When blending the ingredients for your fish patties, you want to leave some texture in the fish. So don’t over blend, which may significantly alter your end result.
  • When forming the patties, I prefer the make them thicker. It creates that crispy exterior effect while leaving the interior moist and tender.
  • For even distribution of your seasonings, combine them together in a small bowl before adding them to other ingredients.
  • Looking for a substitute for the heavy cream? Coconut milk would work great as well.
  • The texture of your sauce should not be too runny or too thick. You want a nice consistency that pours easily.
serving of two fish cakes with pontchartrain sauce

This fish patty (or cake) recipe was created to pay homage to my culinary past and present. My goal was to remain true to the flavors of the diaspora while getting a little creative in the kitchen at the same time. I know this is something you will enjoy!

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Cajun-style African Fish Patties

Creole-Style African Fish Patties with Pontchartrain Sauce


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  • Author: Eric Jones
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x

Description

Tender on the inside and golden brown on the outside, these Fish Patties with Pontchartrain Sauce are seasoned with Creole spices, pan-fried, and paired with a rich and creamy Creole-style sauce prepared from spices from the African diaspora.


Ingredients

Units Scale
For the fish patties:
 
  • 2/3 lb yellow potatoes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb fresh flounder
  • 1/4 cup white onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup celery, chopped
  • 1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 tsp Creole seasoning, divided
  • 1 large organic egg
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp red cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp basil flakes
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
For the Pontchartrain sauce: 
 
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1 cup kosher seafood stock
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp harissa
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese


Instructions

  1. Remove the skin from potatoes and boil for 25 minutes. Drain, place in a large bowl, and mash cooked potatoes with a masher until smooth. Set to the side.
  2. Heat a cooking pan at medium heat. Add the olive oil, chopped green bell peppers, onions, and celery, and cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Season the flounder fish with 3 tbsp Creole seasoning, then place the fish on top of the onions and peppers, cooking for an additional 2 minutes on each side. Remove from heat.
  4. Add cooked fish, onions, and pepper into a food processor (paid link) and blend, leaving the fish slightly chunky.
  5. Add flour, 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, and Panko breadcrumbs in a separate large bowl. Mix well.
  6. Add the mashed potatoes, the fish mixture, and the egg into the bowl. Fold to combine ingredients.
  7. Add onion powder, garlic powder, red cayenne pepper, basil flakes, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper fish mixture, then stir together until blended well.
  8. Form palm-sized patties from fish mixture, then coat with breadcrumb mixture.
  9. Heat a cooking pan at medium heat and add 1 inch of cooking oil. Pan-fry fish patties for 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
  10. For the Pontchartrain sauce, heat a cooking pan at medium heat. Add butter, garlic, and flour, stirring until the butter melts. Add onion and celery. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then slightly lower heat. Add kosher seafood stock and stir until it begins to bind.
  11. Add heavy cream, hot sauce, lemon juice, ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, ground allspice, nutmeg, ginger, harissa, sea salt, and black pepper to the pan and occasionally stir until blended. Remove from heat. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese until combined.
  12. Serve sauce over fish patties.

Equipment

  • Prep Time: 40
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Pan Fry
  • Cuisine: Creole

Nutrition

  • Calories: 281
  • Sugar: 1.9g
  • Sodium: 241mg
  • Fat: 11.7g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.4g
  • Carbohydrates: 24g
  • Fiber: 2.1g
  • Protein: 18.8g
  • Cholesterol: 79mg

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