He said to call him Budro; at this point I can’t even remember his real name.
Budro showed up unannounced at our campsite near the Green below Flaming Gorge one spring Friday afternoon tagging along with a friend who at last call wasn’t even coming.
Turns out he was an engaging native Hawaiian, a talented fisher who was fascinated by our seemingly extreme efforts to catch and release what he called ‘the little fish’ – referencing of course the healthy trout populating the Green.
He told stories of spearfishing off beautiful reefs and baiting hooks with fish the size of our average catch that weekend in a way that didn’t piss off our hard-fishing group. He learned to capably manage a fly line in the time it took to make one run from the dam to Little Hole.
And he could cook.
Upon return to civilization our friend, still hosting Budro, had us over for dinner and Budro whipped up what we’ve come to fondly remember as Budro’s Bodacious Fish Cakes.
He whipped up a massive batch of these (sans any recipe or formal measuring) using halibut from the freezer that has been swimming in Alaskan waters in the not too distant past. In fact, that evening he shaped the fish cakes into something resembling fish sticks and we ate them in fish tacos with an eye-watering habanero-fruit salsa and a tart slaw.
It was awesome.
We pull this recipe out now and again (last weekend in fact) and still think of Budro every time; these aren’t your typical fishcake as they’re spiced up with jalapeno and offer a great herbal tone with the chives and cilantro. She Who Must Be Obeyed likes them with our Southwestern Tartar Sauce.
Here’s a few tips that have evolved over time. One, drain the fish and vegetables while finishing the prep on the rest of the cakes. And don’t crowd the cakes when cooking them up – they’ll brown fast and you can finish two batches in less than ten minutes. *Finally, we’ve made these with a host of different fish, including salmon, though our favorite is firm, flaky white fish like halibut or even catfish. Experiment and find your favorite(s).
2 lbs. boneless, skinless fish (*see note above), 1-inch dice
Scant 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
Scant 1/2 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded, finely chopped
1 tbsp. fresh garlic, minced
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
2/3 cup miracle whip
1/3 cup chives, finely chopped
2/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tbsp. grainy Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. jalapeno Tabasco
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. lime zest
Kosher salt to taste
Peanut or olive oil
Prep work. Rinse the fish, pat dry and cut into 1-inch dice. Prep the vegetables.
Sauté the fish. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat; sauté the fish, onions, peppers and garlic for five minutes or so until the vegetables are soft and the fish just cooked through. Drain in a colander and cool.
Mix the goods. Combine the bread crumbs, miracle whip, chives, cilantro, mustard, Tabasco eggs, salt and lime zest in a large bowl. Fold in the fish / vegetable mixture and mix well. Chill for 30 minutes.
Patty time. Form the mixture into seven or eight 4 to 5 ounce patties. (I like to use a square plastic mold to add some interest.) Dust both sides of each patty with flour.
Cook ‘em up. Heat the peanut or olive oil in a large pan until hot (just smoking). Slip four or five cakes into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on each side (2 or 3 minutes per side). Drain on a paper towel and don’t crowd ‘em; you’ll cook at least two batches.
Serve and smile. Serve hot with a big dollop of tarter sauce (we use our favorite jalapeno tarter sauce for these) or your favorite cocktail sauce. A cold beer is mandatory.
Enjoy.
