I know it’s grilling season, but some days you just don’t feel like firing up the grill, and in the summer, fish makes for a light but satisfying meal. At Weavers Way, cod is a Co-op Basic ingredient; it’s a mild, flaky white fish that is great in stews or patties, a/k/a cod cakes. When I was growing up in Baltimore, we ate dinner at least once a week at Miller’s Delicatessen. Usually I’d get a corned beef special, but occasionally I’d opt for a couple of coddies, their inimitable fish patties served on saltines smeared with mustard. Miller’s coddies were to cod cakes what McDonalds is to hamburgers: nothing like the ones described here. But when this recipe popped up on my New York Times cooking app, I knew I had to try it. I’ve modified the recipe a little, and I’m sure you could modify it even more. It’s a winner: easy, delicious, inexpensive. Serves 4-6.

Directions

• Cut the lemon into eighths. Dice the celery and leaves separately. Chop the scallions finely. Mince two cloves of garlic.
• Place one lemon section, 4 peppercorns and 2 bay leaves in an inch of water in a shallow, wide pan. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Place the fish in this poaching liquid, and simmer until the flesh has just begun to whiten all the way through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the fish and set aside to cool.
• Pour the water out of the pan, and melt the butter over medium-high heat. When the butter foams, add the chopped celery ribs, scallions and garlic, and sauté, stirring often, until the vegetables soften. Transfer them to a large bowl.
• In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, eggs, 2 tsp. mustard, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper and 1 tsp. paprika. Add to the sautéed vegetables. Crush the crackers into crumbs and add to the bowl with the chopped celery leaves. Stir to combine.
• Flake the cooked fish into the vegetable mixture. Make sure some of the fish retains its shape. Gather the mixture into 4-6 balls and form into patties. Place on a pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour. (This step is crucial or the patties will fall apart.)
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. When the oil is hot, reduce to medium and carefully sauté the fishcakes until golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Serve with the remaining wedges of lemon. Serve with a salad or side dish.