Why the proper Sheffield fishcake is a delicacy many are proud of

Which chippy would you go to for it and do you get mushy peas as well?

The proper Sheffield fishcake is a delicacy that many are proud of – my colleague Di Stannard is one of those who have tried to convert chip shop owners in far-flung places to making the city variety of cake, rather than what she disparagingly calls a rude word – something that sounds a bit like rissole.

If she fancies a fishcake, she wants two slices of potato sandwiching a piece of fish with the whole thing covered in batter.

She didn’t have any luck importing the idea to Northern Ireland a few years ago but reckons her aunt introduced them to chippies in Skegness.

And of course you can go cake on cake – fishcake on breadcake. Herein lies another controversy – entire swathes of the internet are devoted to what’s called the breadcake debate. In other words, what’s your local name for a bread roll?

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Mystifyingly, they are apparently called teacakes in West Yorkshire, then there’s barmcake in the North West, the softie in Aberdeen and the very posh-sounding morning roll in Scotland.

But Sheffield sticks to breadcake (don’t quite pronounce the d, though), hence cake on cake is a fishcake in a bread bun.

It’s one of those things you have to learn if you move to a new place – I remember being mystified when I first started at The Star by a colleague from Barnsley who asked me if I had any spice. Someone else had to enlighten me that he meant sweets.

The other local cake-related argument revolves around oatcakes, the lovely delicacy that looks a bit like a pancake crossed with a crumpet.

Apparently, there’s a difference between the Derbyshire and Staffordshire versions, with exponents of each claiming superiority.

The debate even ended up on Radio 4 programme The Kitchen Cabinet, with two chefs ganging up against the poor old Derbyshire version.

They reckoned the bigger, thicker Derbyshire version wasn’t as pliable or tasty as its Stokie cousin. Both sides reckon their recipes date back hundreds of years and Staffordshire oatcake fans say they were first made by farmers with cheap ingredients from the local oat-milling industry.

One idea I definitely wouldn’t fancy is a fishcake on an oatcake, whatever its pedigree.

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If you fancy making your own Sheffield fishcakes, here’s Di’s recipe.

Ingredients:

White fish pieces (cod, haddock etc)

Potatoes, sliced 1cm thick (parboiled)

4oz flour, 1 tbsp vinegar, pinch of salt, 5 fl oz sparkling water - mix these to make the batter

Flour for coating

Method:

Place one layer of fish pieces in between two slices of potato, dip in flour and cover in batter.

Deep fry until golden brown

She adds: “Liberally butter a breadcake or oven bottom cake, place the fishcake on the breadcake and put loads of salt and vinegar on.

“Cake on cake – mmmm – specially when the butter melts and mixes with the vinegar.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor