Below I reprise two favourite fishcake recipes that have proved popular. I think it’s worth tying them together because they are closely related–and worth sharing again for newcomers to the site.
They each have an ingredient that nicely replaces the potato normally associated with fishcakes: Smoked haddock for the first, fresh dill for the second.
The first recipe, with smoked haddock, I once did as a starter on Christmas day–so I associate with winter.
The second recipe, with dill–reprinted from my cookbook, Delicious Dishes for Diabetics–makes a for a tasty lunch outdoors in summer.
Dill is not always easy to find–even in summer–so I sometimes substitute chopped parsley (but dill is better!).
In truth, I’d willingly gobble either down, no matter the season!
Version 1 (Winter)
Salmon and smoked haddock
I used to love fishcakes–but the usual addition of mashed potato made them ‘off limits’ for me, once I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Then I found an alternative–no-potato fish cakes–and no longer felt deprived!
My American wife tells me most Americans will find smoked haddock unfamiliar and maybe even daunting and hard to find–but from starting as a sceptic, she is a complete convert now.
This is adapted from a Gordon Ramsay concept….
for 4/6
1 lb/450 gms salmon fillet–with the skin and little bones removed
1 lb/450 gms smoked haddock–undyed, if possible and skin removed
1 large shallot–grated
1 egg–whisked
1 tablespoon parsley–chopped
salt and pepper
olive oil for sautéing
yogurt–I use no-fat organic, drained in a sieve for half an hour to thicken it.
- Cut the fish into chunks and place into a food processor.
- Pulse to a coarse mince–not too much or it will become a slurry.
- In a bowl, mix the fish with the grated shallot, parsley, salt and pepper.
- Check the seasoning–raw salmon tastes good!
- Add the whisked egg and mix in thoroughly.
- Chill in the fridge for an hour if you’ve time.
- Mold into little flat patties.
- Heat the oil in large frying pan.
- When it’s hot sauté the little cakes for 2 to 3 mins each side.
- Serve with a small dollop of yogurt sauce (see recipe below); for this version of fishcakes, I’d omit the dill.
Version 2 (Summer)
Salmon Fishcakes with dill and grainy mustard
The dill and the grain mustard make the fishcakes special. They can serve as a tasty starter too depending on the size.
If you keep them small and cook them quickly, they’ll be crisp and brown on the outside and still succulent inside.
This version is adapted from one of my favourite British cooks, Nigel Slater.
400 g/1 lb salmon fillet – skinless and checked for bones
white of an egg
1 tbsp chickpea flour – of course, plain flour works as well
1 tsp grain mustard
juice of ½ lemon
bunch of dill – chopped fine
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
- Mix all the yogurt sauce ingredients and refrigerate until you are ready to eat.
- Cut up the salmon fillets in roughly equal-size pieces.
- Put these in a mixer and pulse three or four times.
- Avoid working them too much and producing slush at the end.
- Put the salmon in a bowl.
- Turn in the egg white and the flour, then the mustard, lemon juice and dill.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- It’s a good idea to taste the mix for seasoning at this point–the dill and the salt should come through.
- Refrigerate if not using immediately.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and using a dessertspoon scoop out a dollop and make a ball.
- Put this in the pan and flatten it gently.
- Cook on a medium-high flame, crisping and browning the outside while making sure the interior cooks through.
Yogurt sauce
2 x 125 ml pots low-fat yogurt
1 tsp grain mustard
good pinch of chopped dill
salt
Serve with lemon wedges.
Hi Robin. I have found plenty of dill growing on the backroads throughout our part of the the Tarn – we are south of the river between Gaillac and Albi . Very handy as I use a lot of recipes by Yotam Ottolenghi an an inspiration where dill is a much used herb.
Steven Lemprière
Robin I love your salmon fish cakes with or without dill they stand on their own lovely.
Happy Valentine to you and Meredith.
So this is our Valentine recipe for my husband but I have to make up my mind which one I will choose….
Thanks for so much post …I can hardly keep it up!
Thanks for your good wishes, Caroline–same to you!
Potato-less fish cakes, a dream come true. So many commercial fishcakes contain more potato than fish. Nigel Slater is such a good cook, I love his recipes.
I love fishcakes, and these recipes eliminate a lot of the breading that most commercial ones have. I will be trying them.
Good morning, Robin. Dill is so easy to grow. In Europe its seeds are scattered on well worked garden bed in the spring. It is a trouble free selfsowing plant. These two fish recipes would make a superb start to any meal. Thank you kindly for them both. “Ossie” from Poldark series would say: “It’s not the dish it’s how the ingredients are put together…” What other white fish would be suitable for these dishes? Fresh salmon is not always available here. Smoked haddock. Could that be South African smoked cod?
Meredith had some success with dill last year–we’ll try again this.
The smokeyness is the important part to give them that taste, n’importe quel poisson!
The stickiness of the salmon helps the little cakes stay in one piece.
Hi robin
Tried your fish cakes using left over cooked salmon and added capers. They are great . We are type two so no potato cakes are lovely. Have ditched insulin and another medication by not eating carbs And dairy.
Great–congratulations, Gill. It is good to hear this–onwards!
They look delicious, I’m not the best of cooks but I’m going to give them a try…
Thanks for the recipe x
The very top of this beautiful morning to you both, dear Robin. Thank you once again for your reply. How do you manage to reply to so many people? While living “la bas” I have once overheard a very wise saying: “Depechez -vous, lentement!” I wonder if it “floats” around Lautrec too. Or is it “seulement qu’une sagesse auvergnate?” “N’importe quel poisson” has made me very happy. The fish in Southern Hemisphere do differ from those in Northern Hemisphere. But fish is fish… Two days ago while attempting to comment on the dish of red lentils and cabbage my brain was racing ahead of my fingers. I have ommited to mention turmeric.This ground spice along with five basic ingredients of curry powder is held in a very high esteem by Indians. Apparently it helps to prevent cancer and also Alzeimer’s disease. India’s population has much less incidence of these terrors per capita than we have in Western World.
Robin have you seen the report in the press about the university of Miami doing research into into the healthy way of Mediterranean eating. The artical was headed
“Why a diet from the Med is good for you”
You see Robin the bods are at last catching up with you.I read it in Tuesday’ Daily Mail it’s on page 27. I did try to post it for you but I don’t think it worked.You can I think read it in full on the papers on line web page.
Hello, Robin, I have received three emails that were not mine. “They look delicious…” written by prettierinpink. Your reply to Lisa re fenugreek and the above email sent by Elaine Ward re research in Miami Uni. I have double checked that all three emails are posted and have deleted all three received by kismet.neris. Am I in error? This troubles me very much and I would appreciate a reply.
These are comments from people who regularly comment on the blog. I don’t understand how you have received them as emails.
Aaha! My apologies once again. Now I understand that I should have written “comments”. Thank you very much for explaining this to someone who unfamiliar with these odd 21st Century electronic expressions. It is almost like George Orwell’s novel “1984”…
Pleasure–I experience the same difficulties!
Luckily Meredith is much further down that road than I am…
Good morning, Robin. You are very fortunate in this respect. 13 years ago this coming May I have lost my soulmate of 44 very, very short years. No time even to say good-bye… and my life since that terrible day was not exactly a bed of roses… I have made Version 2 (Summer) fishcakes. (My Paul would have loved them!) using local fresh salmon trout. Delicious and so easy to make. Thank you.
Dear Mr Ellis,
Thanks for the inspiring blog and recipes! I’ve tried the first one for fishcakes tonight and both my husband and I loved it! (He said he could eat them endlessly, haha.)
It’s very enjoyable being a subscriber to your blog. Both the food-related and other posts are a good read
Thanks Natalia–I know what your husband means about the fishcakes.Morish!
Y’all are making me SO HUNGRY!!!
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I’m going to try the second ones tonight! We like potato in our fishcakes but daughter doesn’t! And I have some gram flour (chickpea flour) – ideal!
Hi Robin
I have just had a strongest recommendation from a recent visitor from Dublin to your lovely establishment ….Jean.
When are you planning to run your next course in 2013… Spring I believe? Is it possible to book and is there a different email address for that purpose?
Thanks
Jim
Hello! Can’t wait to make these but do you have a suggestion if I also need to omit egg?
It’s just a binder–it should work without.