Žuvies Kotletai (Lithuanian Fish Cakes)
These Lithuanian fish cakes, or žuvies kotletai, are soft, mild fish cutlets made with pollock and milk-soaked bread instead of potato. It's a classic Lithuanian Christmas fish recipe that shows up at Easter and other family gatherings too, always served cold with a swirl of mayonnaise on top. This from-scratch recipe uses simple ingredients and just one hour of hands-off chilling time.
Ingredients
- 340 g (0.75 lb) pollock fillets (or 500g/1.1 lb frozen fish, thawed)
- 70 g (about 3 slices) white sliced bread
- 70 ml (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) milk
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 medium egg
- a small bunch of fresh dill chopped
- 1 heaped tsp fish seasoning
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 50 g (½ cup) breadcrumbs for coating
- neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Thaw the fish if frozen (500g (1.2 lb) frozen yields about 340g (0.75 lb) thawed). Squeeze out excess moisture, or pat fresh fillets dry with paper towels.
- Tear the bread into a bowl and pour the milk over it. Let soak 15–20 minutes.
- Sauté the onion in a little oil until softened, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Mince the fish in a meat mincer or food processor with the cooled onion and the soaked bread (squeeze out excess milk first).
- Add the egg, dill, fish seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix well. The mixture should be soft but hold its shape — add a tablespoon of flour if too wet.
- Chill the mixture for 1 hour.
- Shape into 7–8 oval cakes and roll each in breadcrumbs.
- Heat oil to about ⅛ inch (3mm) deep in a pan. Fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side, flipping gently.
- Cakes are done at an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). Drain on a paper towel–lined plate.
- Cool to room temperature, then chill. Pipe mayonnaise on top just before serving.
Video
Notes
1. Serve cold, as part of a spread rather than a stand-alone plate.
2. Store in the fridge up to 3 days, unpiped; add mayonnaise just before serving.
3. Uncooked mixture can be made 1 day ahead and kept chilled.
4. Not recommended for freezing after cooking — texture goes watery on thawing.