Oaty Salmon Fishcakes

These simple fishcakes are made with salmon – a healthy source of protein – and also contain vegetables.

Make a main meal of them with a salad and our Roast Lemon and Herb Potato Wedges. Or make mini fishcakes as a starter, delicious with a squeeze of lemon.

Ingredients

250g potatoes
200g skinless and boneless raw salmon
100ml semi-skimmed milk
50g fresh OR frozen peas
50g canned OR frozen sweetcorn
60g Cheddar cheese
Small bunch (20g) fresh parsley OR 1 x 15ml spoon dried parsley
4 spring onions
1 lemon
50g oats
Black pepper (optional)

Equipment

Weighing scales
Baking tray
Greaseproof paper
Colander
Vegetable peeler
Chopping board
Knife
2 x Medium saucepan
Fork
Potato masher
Measuring jug
Wooden spoon
Mixing bowl
Small saucepan
Grater
3 x Small bowl
Can opener
Measuring spoons
Spoon for tasting
Oven gloves
3 x Pan stand

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan or gas mark 6.
2. Cover a baking sheet with a piece of greaseproof paper.
3. Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into 3cm chunks.
4. Put the potatoes into a saucepan and cover with cold water.
5. Put the pan on a medium heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes. Test if the potatoes are cooked by piercing them with a fork. Drain in the colander, return to the pan and mash.
6. Place the salmon in the bottom of another saucepan in a single layer and add the milk.
7. Bring slowly to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid and simmer for 5–10 minutes or until the fish is firm to the touch and cooked in the middle.
8. Remove the salmon with a wooden spoon to a clean bowl and flake with a fork. Keep the liquid.
9. Place the peas and sweetcorn in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 minutes and drain.
10. Grate the cheese and place in a bowl.
11. Wash the herbs and spring onions. Finely chop the herbs, top and tail the spring onions and discard the outer layer. Chop the spring onions into ½cm pieces.
12. Carefully grate the zest of a lemon and then cut the lemon into 8 wedges.
13. Add the mashed potato, sweetcorn, peas, chopped herbs, spring onions, oats, lemon zest, black pepper to taste (if using) and half of the cheese to the bowl with the flaked salmon and mix gently with a spoon.
14. Shape four large fishcakes or 12 mini fishcakes and space them evenly on the baking tray. If you find the mixture is too dry to form cakes, add some of the liquid. Sprinkle the fishcakes with the remaining cheese.
15. Bake the large fishcakes in the oven for 30 minutes and the mini fishcakes for 15 minutes.
16. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

Skills used include:
Weighing, measuring, peeling, chopping, grating, squeezing, mixing/combining, mashing and baking

Top Tips

• If you are making mini fishcakes, you could bake them in a muffin or bun case, so you don’t need a plate to serve them.

Something to try next time

• You could add 50g of cooked broccoli, 50g of chopped peppers or 50g of grated carrot instead of the peas or sweetcorn.
• Try swapping the fresh or dried herbs for the same amounts of dill, chives or coriander for a different flavour.
• Serve the fishcakes with a dollop of zesty lemon mayonnaise by adding the zest of another lemon
  to 3 x 15ml spoons of reduced-fat mayonnaise or a fiery chilli mayonnaise by adding 1 x 5ml spoon of chilli powder to 3 x 15ml spoons of reduced-fat mayonnaise.

Prepare now, eat later

• Make the mashed potato and prepare the vegetables in advance and store, covered, in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Then cook the fish and assemble the fishcakes, ready to bake in the oven.
• You can store the uncooked fishcakes in the fridge for 48 hours or freeze them for up to one month. Defrost the fishcakes thoroughly in the fridge before baking and make sure they are piping hot before serving.