SALMON FISH CAKES WITH HERB CRUSHED POTATOES
Description
Every one loves fishcakes and these are no exception. The appeal of these ones is that flakes of fish are large and juicy and the potatoes are crushed rather than being mashed so they have lots of texture and fresh chopped herbs. The fishcakes are fried and served with freshly made mayonnaise. They are simple to make and can be made with left over fish or potatoes, so they are good at any time of the week.
Method
1. Place the salmon fillet skin side down in a tray. Cover with milk and season with parsley stalks, black pepper corns and bay leaves and seal with tin foil. Poach in the oven at 180° C for 20 minutes until cooked.
2. Cut the potatoes into even pieces bring to the boil in a pan of salted water. When soft drain off water and then roughly crush the potatoes. You are not making a smooth mash, but leaving some texture.
3. When the potatoes are cool, add the chopped spring onions and the lemon zest and the chopped rocket. Chop the parsley and the dill together and then set aside about 1/3 for the mayonnaise. Add the remaining chopped herbs to the potato with the salt, pepper and the cayenne pepper.
4. Mix together continuing to break up the potatoes without making them into a smooth mash. When the salmon is cooked, remove from the milk and allow to drain. Flake the salmon and discard any bones or skin. Add the flaked fish to the potato and herb mixture. When mixing together, keep the fish in as larger pieces as possible.
5. Fry a little of the mixture to taste the fishcakes before you roll them all. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if desired. Roll the mixture into balls that fit into the palm of your hand, about 150 -160g or just smaller than a tennis ball. Lightly dust the balls with flour, and pat then flat into fish cakes. If the mixture is too wet add a little extra flour to soak up some of the moisture and stick the fishcakes together.
6. Heat a pan on a medium high heat. Add a little olive oil and fry the fish cakes until golden brown, about three minutes. With a spatula gently turn the fish cakes over and brown on the other side. It is important that the oil is hot before you start to cook the fish cakes. Do not overload the pan, as it will drop the temperature of the pan. Drain the browned fishcakes on absorbent kitchen paper to soak up any oil and keep them warm in the oven while you are cooking the remainder of the cakes. Serve these fish cakes with roast garlic and herb mayonnaise.
MAYONNAISE
Place the garlic cloves in a small pan with a little oil and cook on a moderate heat or in the oven until golden brown and softened about 8-9 minutes. Allow them to cool.
Squeeze the softened garlic from the skins and crush with the back of a knife. Place the crushed garlic in a bowl and add the egg yolks, mustard, salt and the vinegar. Stir to combine the ingredients in the bowl with a wooden spoon.
Gradually pour in the oil drip by drip stirring all the time to make a mayonnaise. Continue stirring until all the oil is used up and you have a thick emulsion.
Add the juice of half a lemon and the chopped herbs stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
There will be a great combination of flavours with the cayenne pepper and rocket providing the heat in the dish. The lemon zest in the fishcakes and the juice and vinegar will be sour. The fish and potatoes and roast garlic will be sweet and the fish cakes will be well seasoned with salt and the taste will be delicious.