Salmon Fishcakes with Lemon Mayonnaise by Raymond Blanc

One of the great comfort dishes, fishcakes are a must for every home cook’s repertoire. They're easy to create, fun to make and, ultimately, more rewarding than their supermarket equivalent. The lemon mayonnaise is the perfect condiment.

Difficulty

Low

Time

50 min

Author

Raymond Blanc

Ingredients

Servings

8

For the fishcakes

600 , (King Edward or Maris Piper) large

500 , (or individual fillets with a total weight of 500g)

, a good pinch

, good pinch

2 , coarsely chopped

1/4 , coarsely chopped

1/4 , coarsely chopped

2

2

1 , zest only

100 , for dusting

, or olive oil, for frying

For the lemon mayo

1 , medium, organic/free-range

10

1/4 , juice only

2

1

1

80

Utensils

3 Baking tray, Bowl large, Frying pan large

Instructions

For the fishcakes

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Place the potatoes on a baking tray and bake them for about 45 minutes, or until soft in the middle – this cooking time depends, of course, on the size of the potatoes. (Baking potatoes this way reduces moisture in the potato, helping to keep the fishcake mixture dry and easier to fry and also intensifying the potato flavour.)

When the potatoes have been in the oven for about 30 minutes, place the salmon fillet on a separate baking tray, season with salt and pepper and bake this in the oven for 15 minutes.

Remove the potatoes and salmon from the oven and leave them to cool slightly.

Then use a fork to gently break the salmon flesh into a large bowl and set it to one side while you prepare the potato mixture.

Slice the potatoes in half and scoop the cooked flesh into the same Kenwood bowl in which you made the mayonnaise. Add the chopped herbs, 2 good pinches of sea salt and black pepper and the lemon zest.

Pulse the mixture until smooth. Taste and correct the seasoning before scooping the mixture into the bowl of cooked salmon.

Gently fold the cooked salmon through the potato mixture and divide it into 8 even balls.

Place the balls on a tray dusted with plain flour and roll them, so they're evenly coated in flour.

Dust off any excess flour and press the balls into fish cake shape patties. Leave the patties to rest in the fridge covered with non-pvc clingfilm for at least 30 minutes. (Or freeze them to use at a later date.)

For the lemon mayo

Place the egg yolks, water, lemon juice and mustard in the Kenwood food processor. Season with salt and pepper and turn to the highest setting.

Trickle in the vegetable oil until it is all incorporated and you have a thick sauce.

Taste and correct the seasoning if required.

To cook the fishcakes

When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180°C.

In a large frying pan on a medium heat, add the oil and gently fry the fishcakes for 4-5 minutes on each side. Using a palette knife, gently flip the fishcakes halfway through cooking. Don’t be tempted to move the fishcakes too much as they might start to break. When they're golden brown on both sides, transfer them to a baking tray and finish cooking them in the oven for 5 minutes until piping hot inside.

Serve with your homemade lemon mayonnaise and a crisp green salad.