pollock and bacon cakes with green onion and young garlic mayonnaise

In springtime the gardens sprout with green onions, baby leeks, and young garlic. They arrive in heavy bunches, bundled in twine, from our CSA. I use them with unyielding abandon because these younger alliums offer a softer, fresh flavor that I long for after relying on root cellar crops for the colder months. I often grill the green onions, or slice them and serve them fresh as you might do with carrots or ribs of celery, but I also like to whisk them into a simple mayonnaise and serve them with fish cakes. Pollock, with its mild-flavored creamy white flesh, marries well with the sweet smokiness of bacon and the brightness of spring’s first alliums and freshest young herbs. If you can’t find pollock, substitute cod.

SERVES: 4 TO 6

INGREDIENTS:

MAYONNAISE

• 1 clove young garlic, minced
• 3 egg yolks
• ¼ teaspoon finely ground unrefined sea salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 green onions, white and green parts, finely chopped

FISH CAKES

• 1½ pounds pollock fillets
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter or lard
• 8 ounces bacon, finely chopped
• 4 green onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh curly parsley
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ teaspoon finely ground unrefined sea salt
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1½ cups stale sourdough bread crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. To make the mayonnaise, drop the garlic and egg yolks into a bowl, sprinkle them with the salt, then pour in the lemon juice. Whisk together until barely combined, then whisk in the water.
2. Measure the oil into a small salad dressing cruet or pitcher. With a whisk in one hand and the oil in the other, slowly drizzle the oil into the bowl, one drop at a time, as you whisk the ingredients together, taking care not to pour in the oil too quickly. After a minute or two, the egg yolks will thicken and increase in volume. Now you can drizzle the oil in a very fine stream as you continue to whisk. Continue whisking until you’ve incorporated all the oil into the yolks. Fold the green onions into the mayonnaise, cover, and set aside until you’re ready to serve.
3. To make the fish cakes, preheat the oven to 450°F.
4. Place the pollock in a single layer in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily when pierced with the tines of a fork. Remove the fish from the oven, cover it loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and allow it to cool to room temperature.
5. Melt the butter in a wide cast-iron skillet over medium heat, then stir in the bacon. Fry the bacon until it renders its fat and crisps, about 6 minutes. Turn off the heat and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon from the skillet to a waiting bowl or plate, but do not discard the rendered bacon fat.
6. Chop the fish very coarsely just to break it up and put it into a large mixing bowl. Add the crisped bacon, green onions, parsley, beaten egg, salt, paprika, and ½ cup of the bread crumbs. Mix gently by hand until the ingredients hold together. Form the mixture into twelve equal-size patties, each about 1 inch thick.
7. Spread the remaining 1 cup of bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Dredge the fish cakes in the crumbs, coating them on both sides. Set the cakes on a large plate.
8. Line a serving plate with a kitchen towel. Set the skillet with the reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Once the fat is hot, fry the cakes in batches for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until deep golden brown. As each cake is done, place it on the towel-lined serving plate to drain, covering the plate loosely with a bit of parchment paper or foil to keep the cakes warm.
9. Serve the fish cakes with the mayonnaise alongside.