Homemade fishcakes

Homemade fishcakes are much better than shop-bought because you know what’s in them, and they’re not difficult to make yourself.

They’re really tasty on a Saturday night, or any night actually. Why not increase the quantities, make more, and freeze them for another day?

Serves 4

300 gms (11 oz) potatoes
100 gms (3½ oz) salmon fillet, skin on and no scales on the skin, all bones removed
A small handful of fresh parsley
1 egg
1 lemon
Olive oil
1 tablespoon plain flour (with a bit extra for dusting)

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Peel your potatoes, then chop them into even sized chunks. Put them into the boiling water; bring it back to the boil.
Rub the salmon fillet all over with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.
When your potatoes are about half done, place the salmon into a metal colander (not plastic), cover with foil, and place the colander over the pot of boiling potatoes.
Turn the heat down and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the salmon and potatoes are both cooked.
Remove the fish from the colander and put to one side.
Drain the potatoes, then pop them back into the pot and let them steam dry for a minute.
Finely chop the parsley leaves, chuck away the stalks.
Mash the potatoes.
Remove any skin from the salmon.
When the mashed potato has cooled, put it into a bowl and flake the fish into it with the tablespoon of flour.
Add the egg and chopped parsley, give it a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Finely grate over the lemon zest, then mash it all up really well.

Dust a plate with some of the extra flour. Divide your fish cakes into 4, shape and pat into circles, dusting them with flour as you go. Put them onto a clean plate, also dusted with a bit of flour.
Now, before you go any further, if you intend to freeze any to have another day, wrap them in clingfilm and put them into the freezer.
If you’re going to cook them now, pop them into the fridge for an hour before cooking to 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 3 – 4 minutes on each side or until they’re crisp and golden – you may need to cook them in two batches. Serve them straight away, with lemon halves for squeezing over. They’re lovely with hot, buttered peas or a green salad.

These fishcakes also work really well if you use tuna instead of the salmon.