Jamie's Salmon Fishcakes recipe

Fishcakes can make for a tasty tea time meal. Crispy on the outside but soft and fluffy on the inside- they're easy, relatively quick to make and involves getting your hands messy which is always fun! My mum first introduced me to this recipe from Jamie Oliver,  and I have loved them ever since.  

One of the beauties of the fishcake is how easy it is to play around with: once you've suited the basics to your satisfaction, the choice of icing on this particular 'cake' is very much up to you. In theory, your choice of fish with such a dish is entirely dependent on your leftovers – fishcakes are, as you will see, very flexible things (well, until you try to keep them together in the pan, that is). 

So be experimental and try whatever fish you fancy, but bear in mind you many need more or less binding agent- in this case, the wetness of the fish together with the egg, so that your fishcakes remain sturdy.  But to be on the safe side, if you're feeling in a Heston Blumenthal sort of mood, then pick a 'solid' fish - whitefish or tuna work well. 

I believe homemade fishcakes taste miles better compared to any of your traditional shop-bought equivalents and this way you'll be able to know exactly what goes into them (which you can't always guarantee when they are cheap-factory made versions.) 

I enjoy having these fishcakes with some sweet thai chilli sauce (as you can see from my photos) and garnished with coriander, but I have also added a little extra recipe of Jamie's for a tomato, olive, basil and chilli sauce which he recommends as a little bit of extra zing! 

Be sure to chill your mash potato before using as this makes forming into little patties a piece of cake. (excuse my pun...) 

Salmon Fishcakes with optional tomato, olive, basil and chilli sauce 

A recipe slightly adapted from Jamie Oliver

Ingredients

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 600g potatoes 500g salmon fillets, skin on, scaled and bones removed olive oil a bunch of fresh coriander 1 tablespoon flour, plus extra for dusting 1 large egg 2 lemons Note: you could prepare the salmon and mash potato the day before you want to eat them, chill them overnight in the fridge, and then use as normal. This makes for sturdy fishcakes which are easier to handle.

Method

Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Peel your potatoes and chop them into even-sized chunks. Rub the salmon fillets all over with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the potatoes to the pan and bring back to the boil. Put the fish into a colander, covered with foil, and place it over the pan of potatoes. Turn the heat down and cook for 10-12 minutes, until the potatoes and fish are both cooked then remove the fish from the colander and put on one side. Drain the potatoes in the colander, then return them to the pan and let them steam dry. Pick the coriander leaves and finely chop them.  Mash your potatoes, and then place into another bowl or plate and leave to cool completely. Remove any skin from the fish and when the potatoes are cold, put them into a bowl and flake the fish into it with a tablespoon of flour. Add the egg and chopped coriander with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Then finely grate over the lemon zest, and mash all together to mix it up well.  Dust your work surface with flour, divide the fishcake mixture into 8 and lightly shape and pat into circles about 2cm thick, dusting them with flour as you go. Get yourself a plate or tray, dust it with flour and place your fishcakes on top. Pop them into the fridge for an hour before cooking or in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes for speed. This will allow them to firm up slightly. Put a large frying pan on a medium heat and add a couple of lugs of olive oil. When the oil is nice and hot, add your fishcakes and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden - you may need to cook them in batches, keeping the others warm in the oven on a very low heat. Serve straight away, with lemon halves for squeezing over, and some peas, broccoli, greens or salad. 

Tomato, olive, basil and chilli sauce

Ingredients:

2 cloves of garlic a small handful of black olives a few sprigs of fresh basil 1 fresh red chilli olive oil 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes sea salt and black pepper

Method

Peel and finely slice your garlic, squash the olives, using the base of a jar or something heavy, and remove the stones. Roughly chop the olives. Pick the basil leaves off their stalks, ripping up any larger leaves then deseed and finely slice the red chilli. In a large frying pan on a high heat add a lug of olive oil followed by the garlic, olives and chilli. When the garlic is lightly golden add the tomatoes, season with just a small pinch of salt (as the olives can be salty) and pepper and leave to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Serve while still hot with your fishcakes.