Smoked Haddock Fishcakes Food

SMOKED HADDOCK & CHEDDAR FISHCAKES WITH WATERCRESS SAUCE

Steps:

• Put the potatoes, bay leaf, peppercorns and parsley stalks in a big pan of cold water. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil and cook for 15 mins until tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a colander and leave to steam-dry. Turn the heat down, add the fish and poach gently for 5 mins until it flakes easily. Tip the potatoes into a big bowl and put the fish in the colander to drain for a few mins.
• Add the cheese, some pepper and a little salt to the potatoes and mash well. Flake in about half the fish, discarding the skin and bones, and mash in too. Flake in the remaining fish in big chunks, scatter over the sliced spring onions and gently mix together. Roll the mixture into golf-ball-sized cakes.
• Tip the flour onto a plate and season. Tip the egg and breadcrumbs into 2 shallow bowls each. Roll each fishcake first in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Sit on some parchment-lined trays that fit in your fridge. Chill for at least 1 hr or up to 24 hrs.
• Fill a deep frying pan with 1-2cm of sunflower oil, heat until shimmering, then brown a few fishcakes at a time, turning regularly. If the oil gets too crumby, change halfway through. You can serve them straight away, or cool and chill for up to 24 hrs in the fridge, then simply warm for 30 mins in an oven at 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 before the party.
• Make the dipping sauce up to 1 hr before serving - put the roughly chopped spring onions, the parsley leaves, watercress, rapeseed oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 5 tbsp water in a food processor or blender. Whizz to the consistency of single cream.
• Pile the warm fishcakes onto a platter with a bowl of watercress sauce on the side and some lemon wedges for squeezing over, if you like.

SPICED SMOKED HADDOCK FISH CAKES

Steps:

• Cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, put the smoked haddock in a large shallow microwaveproof dish and pour over the milk. Cover with cling film, pierce a few times, then microwave on High for 4 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. (Alternatively, simmer in a pan on the hob for 5 minutes.)
• While the fish cooks, heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion, ginger and paprika for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft. Remove from the heat.
• When the potatoes and fish are ready, drain them both. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher, and remove the skin and any bones from the fish. Mix the potatoes, fish and onion with the coriander, lemon juice and plenty of salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into eight, roll each portion into a ball and flatten slightly. Dip into the beaten egg, then coat with the oats. Put on a plate, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for half an hour or so to firm them up a bit.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan (preferably non-stick if you have one) until very hot. Fry 4 fish cakes at a time for 5-6 minutes on each side, turning once, until they are golden and crisp. Lift out and drain on kitchen paper. Wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper and fry the remaining fish cakes in another 2 tbsp oil, making sure it's really hot before you put them in. Serve hot, with lemon wedges and a cucumber and yogurt dip (bought or home-made).

SALMON & SMOKED HADDOCK FISH CAKES

Steps:

• Simmer the smoked haddock and salmon in the milk with the clove, half the onion and bay leaf for 5 mins. Remove the fish from the milk and, when cool enough to handle, discard any skin or bone then flake. (The milk can be used to make a parsley sauce.)
• Finely chop the remaining ½ onion and fry in half the butter until softened. Stir into the mash with the smoked haddock and Worcestershire sauce until smoothish, lightly mix in the salmon, boiled eggs and herbs, then season, preferably by hand so you don't overmix. Chill for 1 hr for the flavours to meld and the mixture to firm.
• Divide the mixture into 20 equal amounts, then shape into patties. Dip in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and reshape. Chill again before cooking. These can be made up to a day ahead at this stage then chilled.
• Fry in a non-stick frying pan with a little oil for 5-7 mins on each side until the coating is crispy, or grill topped with tiny knobs of butter. Serve with tomato sauce for dipping, if you like.

DOUBLE-SMOKED FISH CAKES

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes for 15 minutes until just tender. At the same time, put the smoked haddock in a deep frying pan, cover with boiling water and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes. When the potatoes are done, drain them well and mash.
• Lift the fish from the water. When it's cool enough to touch, remove the skin and bones, then break the fish into medium-sized flakes.
• Put all the ingredients, except the flour and oil, in a large bowl. Season and mix well. The mixture should be quite light and may be a little sticky. Sprinkle the flour on a plate, divide the mixture into four and shape the fish cakes, coating them lightly with the flour. Put on a plate, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes or until needed. (You can make them to this stage up to 24 hours ahead, or freeze them for up to a month.)
• To cook, heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan, then put in the fish cakes, spacing them well apart. Fry for 5-6 minutes, then turn and cook the other side for about 4-5 minutes. (If you've frozen them, fry from frozen for up to 10 minutes longer.)

SMOKED HADDOCK FISHCAKES WITH SAFFRON CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook the potatoes until soft, then drain and mash.
• Meanwhile, put the cream in a large saucepan along with the onion and garlic and heat gently.
• Lay the haddock, flesh side down, in the cream and let it poach for 10-15 minutes, until the flesh flakes away easily from the skin.
• The cream does not need to cover the haddock entirely.
• As long as the flesh is mostly submerged it will be fine.
• Once the haddock is cooked, take it out of the cream and leave to cool on a plate for a few minutes.
• When cool enough to handle, separate the flesh from the skin, remove any bones and place the flesh in a large bowl.
• Strain the cream, put the onions and garlic in with the fish and return the cream to the saucepan.
• Add the potatoes to the bowl with the fish and onions.
• Add the chile, lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste then mix all ingredients well and form with your hands into fishcakes.
• Dip each fishcake into the beaten egg and then into the breadcrumbs.
• Set aside until you have them all formed.
• At this point, you can either continue to cooking the fishcakes or freeze them for later use.
• If you are going to cook them, heat up the oil and fry the breaded fishcakes for 2-3 minutes on both sides until nicely browned.
• Separately, mix the cornstarch into the cream, add the saffron and heat gently until the sauce is just slightly thickened.
• If you are using milk instead of cream you may need a bit more cornstarch to help it thicken.
• Serve the cooked fishcakes with generous spoonfuls of saffron sauce, some cooked greens or a salad on the side and a wedge of lemon.

ULTIMATE FISH CAKES

Steps:

• Mix together 125ml mayonnaise, 1 rounded tbsp roughly chopped capers, 1 rounded tsp creamed horseradish, 1 rounded tsp Dijon mustard, 1 small very finley chopped shallot and 1 tsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley. Set aside.
• Lay 450g skinned Icelandic cod or haddock fillet and 2 bay leaves in a frying pan. Pour over 150ml milk and 150ml water.
• Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 4 mins. Take off the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 mins to gently finish cooking the fish.
• Meanwhile, peel and chop 350g Maris Piper potatoes into even-sized chunks. Put them in a saucepan and just cover with boiling water. Add a pinch of salt, bring back to the boil and simmer for 10 mins or until tender, but not broken up.
• Lift the fish out of the milk with a slotted spoon and put on a plate to cool. Drain the potatoes in a colander and leave for a min or two.
• Tip the potatoes back into the hot pan on the lowest heat you can and let them dry out for 1 min, mashing them with a fork and stirring so they don't stick. You should have a light, dry fluffy mash.
• Take off the heat and beat in 1 rounded tbsp of the sauce, then ½ tsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley and 1 tbsp snipped chives.
• Season well with salt and pepper. The potato should have a good flavour, so taste and adjust to suit.
• Drain off liquid from the fish, grind some pepper over it, then flake it into big chunks into the pan of potatoes.
• Using your hands, gently lift the fish and potatoes together so they just mix. You'll only need a couple of turns, or the fish will break up too much. Put to one side and cool.
• Beat 1 egg on a large plate and lightly flour a board. Spread 85g fresh white breadcrumbs on a baking sheet. Divide the fish cake mixture into four.
• On the floured board, and with floured hands, carefully shape into four cakes, about 2.5cm thick. One by one, sit each cake in the egg, and brush over the top and sides so it is completely coated.
• Sit the cakes on the crumbs, patting the crumbs on the sides and tops so they are lightly covered. Transfer to a plate, cover and chill for 30 mins (or up to a day ahead).
• Heat 3-4 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil in a large frying pan. To test when ready, drop a piece of the dry breadcrumbs in - if it sizzles and quickly turns golden brown, it is ready to use.
• Fry the fish cakes over a medium heat for about 5 mins on each side or until crisp and golden. Serve with the rest of the sauce (squeeze in a little lemon to taste), lemon wedges for squeezing over and watercress.