Halibut Cakes with Homemade Tartar Sauce

By JimMac

Ingredients

• Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
• 1 1 2 pound Alaskan halibut fillets, poached and flaked (about 2 cups loosely packed)
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 cup unseasoned fine bread crumbs
• 1 1 1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
• 1 1 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup chopped green onions, green parts only
• 2 2 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
• 1 1 1 teaspoon chopped dill
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup Homemade Mayonnaise, recipe follows, or store-bought mayonnaise
• 1 1 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 to 4 2 to 4 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Watercress or other greens, garnish
• Chopped parsley, garnish
• Essence, garnish
• Homemade Tartar Sauce, recipe follows
• 2 1/2 2 1/2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 2 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 2 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 1 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 1 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 1 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 1 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• 2/3 about 2/3 cup
• Homemade Mayonnaise and Tartar Sauce:
• 1 1 1 large egg
• 2 2 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 11/2 11/2 11/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 1/8 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 2 2 tablespoons chopped green onions, green parts only
• 2 2 2 teaspoons drained sweet pickle relish
• 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 teaspoons Creole or other whole-grain mustard
• 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• To to 1 to 2 24 1 1/4 medium bowl and fold in the remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before serving. (NOTE: Both mayonnaise and tartar sauce should be used within 24 hours.) Yield: about 1 1/4 cups

Preparation

Step 1

Cakes

In a large bowl, combine the halibut, bread crumbs, Essence, salt, cayenne, green onions, parsley, dill, mayonnaise, and egg. Fold with a rubber spatula, gently mixing in the halibut and bread crumbs. Shape the mixture into 4 (3/4-inch) thick patties and place on a plate. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the cakes and cook until golden, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove from the heat. Garnish 4 salad plates with watercress.

Place 2 cakes on each plate and top with a dollop of tartar sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and Essence, and serve.