Smoked haddock potato cakes

GILL MELLER’S SMOKED HADDOCK POTATO CAKE

I’ve always tried to be economical in the kitchen. It means being thrifty with ingredients, but it also means simplifying the cooking process wherever possible, so I’m economical with time too. Less stress, less washing up and more time to enjoy cooking. That’s very much the case with this recipe. While the potatoes are simmering away, I gently steam the smoked haddock and chard in a basket above. It cuts out unnecessary stages and means these delicious potato cakes come together even more quickly.

Preparation time 35 minutes | Cook time 30 minutes | Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

500g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

400g naturally smoked undyed haddock fillets

A small bunch of Swiss chard or rainbow chard

4 spring onions, finely sliced

A small handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 large Stonegate Estate organic egg, beaten

75g plain flour

2 large Stonegate Estate organic eggs, beaten

120g fresh white breadcrumbs

Butter and olive oil, for frying

To serve

4 large Stonegate Estate organic eggs

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

  1. Put the potatoes into a large pan of well-salted cold water and bring to the boil. Sit a steamer basket over the pan, lay the haddock on one side of the basket and the chard on the other. Cover with a lid and steam for 5 to 6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets, until the fish is just cooked and flakes easily and the chard is tender. Lift the haddock and chard onto a plate and leave to cool slightly while the potatoes continue cooking until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes in total.
  2. Drain the potatoes well, then return them to the warm pan for a minute or two to allow any excess moisture to evaporate. Mash until smooth and leave to cool.
  3. Remove any skin from the haddock and break the flesh into generous flakes. Roughly chop the chard, including the stalks.
  4. Place the mashed potato into a large bowl with the chopped chard, spring onions, parsley and wholegrain mustard. Season generously with black pepper and add a little salt if needed, remembering the haddock is already well seasoned. Fold everything together, then gently fold through the flaked haddock, taking care not to break it up too much.
  5. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape into cakes about 2cm thick. If they feel a little soft, chill them in the freezer for 20 minutes.
  6. Put the flour into one shallow dish, the beaten egg into another and the breadcrumbs into a third. Coat each fishcake first in the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs on lightly.
  7. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add a generous knob of butter with a splash of olive oil. When the butter is nice and hot and bubbling away, add the fishcakes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until crisp, deeply golden and piping hot right through.
  8. Serve two fishcakes on each plate, topped with a fried or poached egg, plenty of freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
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