Salmon and Dill Fishcakes

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large non-stick frying pan
• •Potato masher
• •Fish slice or wide spatula
• •Three shallow dishes for coating

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach the salmon

   Bring a wide pan of water to a gentle simmer. Not a rolling boil. You want the surface barely trembling. Slide the salmon in, skin side down, and let it cook for eight to ten minutes until the flesh has turned from translucent to opaque and flakes easily when you press it with a fork. Lift it out and set it on a plate to cool. Don't rush this. Warm salmon breaks into better, more generous flakes than cold.

   You can use leftover roasted salmon here, or even a good tin of wild salmon if the week has got away from you. A fishcake is forgiving. It works with what you have.
2. 2

   Boil and mash the potatoes

   While the salmon cools, boil the potatoes in well-salted water until they're completely tender, fifteen to twenty minutes. Drain them thoroughly and let them steam dry in the colander for a minute or two. Mash them by hand. You want them smooth but not overworked, and absolutely dry. A wet mash makes fishcakes that fall apart in the pan, and there are few things more disheartening than watching your supper disintegrate.

   No butter or cream in this mash. I know it feels wrong. But you want the potato dry enough to bind everything together. The richness comes from the butter in the frying pan.
3. 3

   Build the fishcake mixture

   Peel the skin from the salmon and discard it. Flake the fish into the mashed potato in large, rough pieces. You want to see the salmon in the finished fishcake, not blend it into uniformity. Add the beaten egg, the dill, the mustard, the lemon zest, and the spring onions. Season well with salt and pepper. Fold it together gently with a fork. Taste a small pinch of the mixture. Adjust the seasoning now, while you can still do something about it.

4. 4

   Shape and coat

   Divide the mixture into eight and shape each portion into a round cake about two centimetres thick. Don't press too hard. A light hand makes a fishcake with a better texture, one that holds together but still feels tender when you cut into it. Set up three shallow dishes: flour in the first, beaten egg in the second, breadcrumbs in the third. Dust each fishcake in flour, dip it in egg, then press it gently into the breadcrumbs, turning to coat. Set them on a plate and put them in the fridge for at least twenty minutes to firm up.

   This is the stage where patience pays. Cold fishcakes hold their shape in the pan. Skip the chilling and you're asking for trouble.
5. 5

   Fry until golden

   Heat the butter and oil together in a large frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter foams and starts to calm, lay the fishcakes in, giving them space. Don't crowd the pan. Fry for four to five minutes on each side, adjusting the heat so the breadcrumbs turn a deep, even gold without burning. The sound should be a steady, contented sizzle, not an angry spit. When you turn them, be gentle. A fish slice and a quiet confidence are all you need.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Lift the fishcakes onto a warm plate lined with kitchen paper for a moment, then serve with lemon wedges and whatever green thing you have to hand. A simple salad of leaves dressed with lemon and olive oil. Some buttered peas. Watercress, if the market had it. Nothing complicated. The fishcake does the talking.

Chef Tips

• •The salmon doesn't need to be expensive. A good piece of farmed salmon works well here, and it's the kind of dish where the seasoning and the coating do as much work as the fish itself. That said, if you can get wild salmon, the flavour is noticeably better and the colour is beautiful.
• •Make your own breadcrumbs. Tear yesterday's bread into chunks and pulse it in a food processor. Fresh breadcrumbs fry to a crisper, lighter gold than the dried sort, and they taste of actual bread. Keep a bag of them in the freezer and you'll always have some to hand.
• •These are just as good cold. Wrap one in greaseproof paper with a wedge of lemon and take it for lunch. On a piece of bread with a smear of mayonnaise and some watercress, it's a sandwich worth remembering.
• •If you have leftover mashed potato from another meal, this is one of the best things you can do with it. Season the mixture a little more generously to compensate, taste it, and carry on.

Advance Preparation

• •The fishcake mixture can be made and shaped up to a day ahead. Keep them covered on a plate in the fridge. Coat in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs just before frying, or coat them ahead and chill, which also works well.
• •Cooked fishcakes reheat in a moderate oven (180C) for ten to twelve minutes. They won't be quite as crisp, but they're still good.
• •Uncooked, breaded fishcakes freeze well for up to two months. Freeze on a tray first, then transfer to a bag. Fry from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to each side and lowering the heat slightly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 265g)