Salmon fish cakes with lemon herb mayo

Children love these simple-to-make fish cakes starring tinned salmon and potato

Salmon fish cakes with lemon herb mayo Photo: YUKI SUGIURA

Serves six

For the fish cakes
750g (1lb 10oz) floury potatoes
2 large tins salmon, about 215g (7½oz) each
optional extras: anchovies, capers, chervil, parsley or chives
plain flour, for dusting
2 large eggs, beaten
150g (5½oz) dry breadcrumbs
sunflower oil, for frying
lemon wedges, to serve

For the mayonnaise 
200g (7oz) mayonnaise
5 tbsp crème fraîche
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1-2 tbsp chopped parsley or chervil

Boil the potatoes in their skins until tender. Drain, put a clean tea towel on top of the potatoes in the pan, put on the lid and set over a very low heat for four minutes; this dries out the potatoes a bit. Peel each one and discard the peel.

Open the tins of salmon and drain, reserving the juices. Flake the fish and remove any bones or skin. Mash the potato and add the salmon, salt and pepper, plus just enough salmon juice to make it bind. If you are going to add any extras – chopped anchovies, capers or herbs – add them now. Taste the mixture for seasoning.

Flour your hands and put more flour on to a plate. Take handfuls of the fish and potato mixture and form them into 12 cakes about 8cm (3in) across. Dip each one in flour and set on a non-stick baking-sheet. Flour your hands again if necessary – they’ll get a bit sticky.

Put the eggs in a shallow bowl and the breadcrumbs in another. Dip each fish cake into the egg and then the crumbs. Put back on the baking-sheet. If you have time, put the cakes in the fridge to firm up. I hardly ever have time and these behave pretty well without it.

To make the mayo just mix everything together.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large non-stick frying-pan (use two pans if you have them) and cook the cakes on both sides until golden and hot right through – about four to five minutes per side. As you cook the cakes transfer them to a serving platter (or baking-sheet) and put in a low oven to keep warm. Use more oil as you need it.

Serve the fish cakes with wedges of lemon and the mayo, plus some peas or a green salad on the side.