Anne Morgan Delia Smith’s salmon fishcakes use tinned salmon, not fresh, and she is clear about why: tinned makes better fishcakes. I did not believe that until I made a batch of twelve and realised the tinned fish holds together in a way that fresh flaked salmon never does.
This salmon fishcakes recipe is from Delia’s Complete How To Cook and serves 6. The filling has capers, gherkins (cornichons), hard-boiled eggs, and anchovy paste alongside the salmon and potato, which gives these fishcakes more going on inside than most versions you will find.
More Salmon Recipes:
Why Tinned Salmon and Not Fresh
Fresh salmon flakes apart when you try to shape the mixture, and the fishcakes fall to pieces in the pan. Tinned salmon has a firmer, drier texture that binds with the potato and holds its shape through coating and frying.
Delia specifies tinned red salmon, which has more flavour than the pink variety. She also adds mayonnaise to the mashed potato instead of butter, which keeps the mixture firm enough to roll and slice rather than going soft.
Salmon Fishcakes Ingredients
The Fishcakes:
- 425g (15 oz) tinned red salmon, drained
- 275g (10 oz) Desirée or King Edward potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 heaped tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 heaped tablespoons salted capers, drained and chopped
- 6 cornichons (gherkins), drained and chopped
- 2 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped small
- 1 dessertspoon anchovy paste, or 4 anchovies mashed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon powdered mace
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt and freshly milled black pepper
The Coating and Frying:
- Plain flour (all-purpose flour) for dusting
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 75g (3 oz) matzo meal or fresh white breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons groundnut or other flavourless oil
- 10g (½ oz) butter
How To Make Delia Smith Salmon Fishcakes
- Cook the potatoes: Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 25 minutes until completely tender. Drain and mash with the mayonnaise using an electric hand whisk until smooth. Season and set aside.
- Mix the filling: Combine the drained tinned salmon, mashed potato, parsley, capers, gherkins, chopped hard-boiled eggs, anchovy paste, lemon juice, mace, and cayenne in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly, taste, and adjust seasoning.
- Chill: Let the mixture cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm.
- Shape the fishcakes: Flour a work surface. Turn the mixture out and pat it into a long roll about 5 to 6cm in diameter. Cut into 12 rounds and pat each one flat and neat.
- Coat: Dip each fishcake first into beaten egg, then into matzo meal or breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the coating sticks evenly all round.
- Fry: Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over high heat. When hot, add half the fishcakes, reduce to medium, and fry for 4 minutes each side until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while you fry the rest.
What Holds Them Together
People often ask what the best binder for fish cakes is, and the answer is the potato itself, but only if you get it right. The potatoes must be completely tender before mashing, or you get lumps that stop the mixture holding together when you shape it.
The 2 hours of chilling is not optional because warm mixture falls apart when you try to coat and fry it. If you are short on time, spread the mixture on a tray and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes instead.
Parsley Sauce on the Side
Delia serves these with her English parsley sauce, which is a classic white sauce with a generous amount of chopped parsley stirred through. A squeeze of lemon and a few sprigs of parsley on the plate is the minimum.
Leftover fishcakes keep for 2 days in the fridge and reheat best in a hot oven at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes, never the microwave. They also freeze well uncooked: coat them, freeze on a lined tray until solid, then stack in a bag for up to a month.
Salmon Fishcakes Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 310 kcal
- Protein: 20g
- Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Sugar: 1g
Estimated per 2 fishcakes.
Can I use fresh salmon instead of tinned?
You can, but the fishcakes will be harder to shape and more likely to fall apart in the pan. If you want to try, poach or bake the salmon first, let it cool, and flake it firmly. Mix it with a little extra mayonnaise to help it bind. Delia is clear that tinned works better here.
What are common mistakes when making salmon fishcakes?
Not chilling the mixture long enough is the biggest one, because warm fishcakes collapse when you try to coat and fry them. Under-cooking the potatoes is the second: lumpy mash means the mixture will not hold together. And frying in oil that is not hot enough gives you a greasy, pale coating instead of a crisp golden one.
Can I bake these instead of frying?
Yes. Brush the coated fishcakes with a little oil, place on a lined baking tray, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once halfway. They will not be quite as crisp as fried but they are still good and much less messy.
What can I use instead of matzo meal?
Fresh white breadcrumbs are Delia’s suggested alternative and they work well. Panko breadcrumbs give an even crunchier coating. Avoid dried breadcrumbs from a packet as they tend to taste dusty.
More From the Site:
Delia Smith Salmon Fishcakes Recipe
Course: DinnerCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy6
servings30
minutes16
minutes310
kcalDelia Smith’s salmon fishcakes use tinned salmon, not fresh, and she is clear about why: tinned makes better fishcakes. I did not believe that until I made a batch of twelve and realised the tinned fish holds together in a way that fresh flaked salmon never does.
This salmon fishcakes recipe is from Delia’s Complete How To Cook and serves 6. The filling has capers, gherkins, hard-boiled eggs, and anchovy paste alongside the salmon and potato, which gives these fishcakes more going on inside than most versions you will find.
Ingredients
425g (15 oz) tinned red salmon, drained
275g (10 oz) Desirée or King Edward potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 heaped tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 heaped tablespoons salted capers, drained and chopped
6 cornichons (gherkins), drained and chopped
2 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped small
1 dessertspoon anchovy paste, or 4 anchovies mashed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon powdered mace
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
Plain flour (all-purpose flour) for dusting
1 large egg, beaten
75g (3 oz) matzo meal or fresh white breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons groundnut or flavourless oil
10g (½ oz) butter
Directions
- Cook the potatoes: Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 25 minutes until completely tender. Drain and mash with the mayonnaise using an electric hand whisk until smooth. Season and set aside.
- Mix the filling: Combine the drained tinned salmon, mashed potato, parsley, capers, gherkins, chopped hard-boiled eggs, anchovy paste, lemon juice, mace, and cayenne in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly, taste, and adjust seasoning.
- Chill: Let the mixture cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm.
- Shape the fishcakes: Flour a work surface. Turn the mixture out and pat it into a long roll about 5 to 6cm in diameter. Cut into 12 rounds and pat each one flat and neat.
- Coat: Dip each fishcake first into beaten egg, then into matzo meal or breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the coating sticks evenly all round.
- Fry: Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over high heat. When hot, add half the fishcakes, reduce to medium, and fry for 4 minutes each side until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while you fry the rest.
Notes
- Tinned red salmon works better than fresh for shaping and binding.
- Chill the mixture for at least 2 hours or the fishcakes will fall apart.
- Fry in batches so the pan stays hot enough to crisp the coating.
