• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Umami Days

Umami Days

Meaty with a dash of veggies

  • Pick a meal
    • One Bowl Meals
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch / Dinner
      • Appetizers
      • Salads
      • Soups
      • Main Courses
      • Side Dishes
      • Sweets
    • Snacks
    • Drinks
      • Summer drinks
      • Cold weather drinks
      • Cocktail hour
  • Pick your protein
    • Chicken, duck & turkey
    • Meat
    • Seafood
    • Eggs
    • Mushrooms
    • Tofu
    • Vegetables
  • Pick your carb
    • Rice & grains
    • Noodles
    • Bread
  • Newsletter
  • Sidebar
    • Kitchen
    • Dining
    • Edible Garden
    • Food Tales
  • Newsletter sign-up!
  • Recipe index
    • By Meal
      • One Bowl Meals
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch / Dinner
        • Appetizers
        • Salads
        • Soups
        • Main Courses
        • Side Dishes
        • Sweets
      • Snacks
      • Drinks
        • Refreshing summer drinks
        • Cold weather drinks
        • Cocktail hour
    • By Main Protein
      • Chicken, duck & turkey
      • Meat
      • Seafood
      • Eggs
      • Mushrooms
      • Tofu
      • Vegetables
    • By Carb
      • Rice & grains
      • Noodles
      • Bread
  • Sidebar
    • Kitchen
    • Dining
    • Edible Garden
    • Food Tales
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • Contact
Seafood Breakfast Potatoes Snacks

Tinapang bangus (smoked milkfish) and mashed potato pancakes

Published: 02.28.2022 » Last updated: 11.23.2022

Bits of smoked fish are mixed with mashed potatoes, formed into patties and lightly fried in butter. The browned crisp exterior is a wonderful contrast to the soft center. The smoky aroma and flavor are delightful and the presentation is beautiful in all its simplicity.

Tinapang bangus (smoked milkfish) and mashed potato pancakes

Comfort food re-defined. Bits of smoked fish are mixed with mashed potatoes, formed into patties and lightly fried in butter.

I did a similar dish once using spicy bottled sardines but the potato cake was much larger — as large as the frying pan. The sardines were too oily and the mashed potatoes turned a bit too mushy and the cake did not turn out to be as crisp as I’d like.

By using tinapa (smoked fish — milkfish, in this case), no excess oil went into the potatoes. And by making the cakes smaller (i.e., single serve), it was easier to flip them in the pan to brown both sides evenly until nice and crisp. The smoky-salty flavor made the potato cakes much, much tastier too.

Tinapang bangus (smoked milkfish) and mashed potato pancakes

Connie Veneracion
The browned crisp exterior of the pancakes makes a wonderful contrast to the soft center. The smoky aroma and flavor are delightful and the presentation is beautiful in all its simplicity.
Tinapang bangus (smoked milkfish) and mashed potato pancakes topped with egg
Print Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine Filipino
Servings 4 pancakes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 boneless tinapa - smoked milkfish
  • 2 to 2 ½ mashed potatoes - just potatoes — no butter, no milk, no seasoning
  • 1 egg - beaten
  • salt - to taste
  • pepper - to taste
  • 8 tablespoons butter - for fying
  • eggs - fried sunny side up
  • onion leaves - finely sliced
  • fried garlic

Instructions
 

  • Peel off the skin of the smoked fish. Discard the head and tail.
  • Break the flesh into small pieces. I don’t recommend flaking — it’s much nicer to have discernible pieces of fish in the potato cakes.
  • Mix together the smoked fish and mashed potato.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Stir in the beaten egg.
  • Divide the mixture into four portions. Form each portion into a patty about three-quarters of an inch thick.
  • Heat a frying pan. Melt one tablespoon of butter. Fry one potato cake at a time. To brown both sides evenly, scoop the cake with a spatula and melt another teaspoonful of butter before flipping. It’ll take about two to three minutes over medium-high heat to brown each side.
  • To serve: Place one potato cake on a plate. Top with a fried egg. Sprinkle with onion leaves and toasted garlic bits.
  • It’s a very filling and very tasty breakfast or brunch dish. But, if you like, you can have bread on the side.
Print Pin Recipe
Keyword Mashed Potatoes, Tinapa (Smoked Fish)

More Seafood

Chinese broccoli-wrapped mackerel in coconut milk

Chinese broccoli-wrapped mackerel in coconut milk

Tuna and tofu spring rolls with sweet chili sauce

Tuna and tofu spring rolls

Cheesy baked salmon with crispy crumb topping

Cheesy baked salmon with crispy crumb topping

Salmon curry rice bowl

Salmon curry rice bowl

Braised sea cucumbers and shiitake with broccoli on the side

Braised sea cucumbers and shiitake

Bangus a la pobre: fried milkfish fillets with sauce and onion rings

Bangus (milkfish) a la pobre

Newsletter department

  • #19 How to stir fry like a pro
    03.30.2023
    It’s one of the most common cooking methods in Asia. Food and travel shows make it look intimidating but, armed with a few tricks, any cook can learn to stir fry restaurant quality food at home.

Sidebar

Connie Veneracion, Chiang Mai, 2020

Hi, I’m Connie!

Welcome to Umami Days, a blog that advocates innovative home cooking for pleasurable everyday dining. No trendy diets, no food fads and definitely no ludicrous recipe names like crustless quiche, noodleless pho or chocolate lasagna.

  • About
  • Recipes
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • Contact
Udon and pork with chili peanut sauce garnished with scallions and sesame seeds

Udon and pork with chili peanut sauce

Chicken, tomatoes and thyme in olive oil, with pot of thyme in background

Chicken, tomatoes and thyme in olive oil

Kung Pao tofu

10-minute Kung Pao tofu

Kung pao chicken

Kung pao chicken

Macaroni salad with ham and cheese, carrot, celery, crushed pineapple, pickle relish and mayo

Macaroni salad with ham and cheese

Potatoes and green beans salad

Umami Days is powered by Apple, Canon, coffee & one bowl meals · Copyright © 2023 Connie Veneracion · All Rights Reserved