Salmon & dill fish cakes in 4 easy steps
See this recipe step by step

Salmon & dill fish cakes in 4 easy steps

Everybody loves fish cakes, and even the complete beginner can master these mouthwatering morsels

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Freezable

Method

  1. Poaching the salmon: Put the salmon in a frying pan with the bay leaves and dill stalks. Pour over enough milk to cover the fish (you may not need all the milk), bring to the boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer and leave to poach for 4 mins. Turn off the heat, then leave the fish to continue cooking in the poaching liquid for 5 mins. Lift the salmon out with a fish slice onto a plate. Flake into large pieces with a fork, then leave to cool.
  2. Making and drying out the mash: Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for about 10 mins, or until tender. Drain well, then leave to cool in a colander for 2 mins. Tip back into the pan and return to the hob on a low setting. Mash the potatoes, watching that the mash doesn't catch at the bottom of the pan, for 2-3 mins - it should be dry and fluffy. Stir in lemon zest, mayonnaise, mustard, capers and some seasoning.
  3. Mixing and shaping fish cakes Pat away any liquid from the fish, then carefully lift the pieces into the pan with the mash. With your hands, gently mix together until roughly combined; it should take just a few movements or the fish will break up. Dust hands and work surface with flour. Shape a handful of the mix into a patty-shaped cake, about 2.5cm thick. Repeat to make 8 cakes.
  4. Breadcrumbing and frying Dip the cakes into the egg, then press into the breadcrumbs all over. Heat half the oil in a frying pan until very hot. Fry 4 fish cakes for 5 mins each side until golden. Remove; keep warm. Repeat with the rest, or freeze. Serve with lemon wedges and watercress.
Try

Haddock & parsley

Swap the salmon for haddock and poach with parsley stalks. Stir chopped parsley through the mash and season with nutmeg.

Make them Thai

Add finely chopped red chillies, sliced spring onions, finely grated fresh root ginger and coriander leaves to the mash. Serve with sweet chilli dipping sauce.

Wet mash?

The mash isn't drying out. The potatoes have been boiled for too long. To check when they are ready, a knife should slide into a chunk easily and the potato should fall back into the water easily. Keep drying out over-cooked potatoes over a low heat for a little longer. The mash may not be as light, but it will still bind the cakes together.

Per serving

431 kcalories, protein 27.0g, carbohydrate 27.0g, fat 25.0 g, saturated fat 5.0g, fibre 2.0g, sugar 4.0g, salt 1.05 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2007.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 21-33

  • Binder photo Michael

    07 May 2011

    Michael rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Lovely but I assume that the fronds of dill are added to the fish cakes as well as the poaching liquid?

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  • Binder photo Anna

    25 May 2011

    Anna rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Really lovely! Very easy to make too. I added the fronds as the recipe fails to mention them but I assumed that was an accident as they made it very tasty. Recipe doesn't say anything about the poaching liquid- seemed a shame to discard it.

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  • Binder photo Chef Corey

    22 July 2011

    Chef Corey rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Perfect topped with a poached egg & Hollandaise Sauce, served with a rocket salad or some boiled Asparagus! ;)

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  • Binder photo babs

    23 September 2011

    babs rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    made these for dinner last night they were really really yummy will make these again for sure

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  • Binder photo Jan

    02 October 2011

    Jan commented on this recipe

    Best fish cakes I have made to date. Made them as a starter for a dinner party and everyone loved them. When I do them again I will use a little less Mayo to make them easier to handle.

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  • Binder photo Carmel

    13 October 2011

    Carmel rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Another hit with lots of rave reviews from the hubby. And me. Delicious. Quite a bit of work, but if you have time, it was quite fun and the result was worth it. We served this with a green salad and a glass of white wine. Lovely dinner for two. (We had the same dinner the next time as we made the 8 fishcakes and loved them so much we had the same thing for dinner the next night.). Will try baking them next time. I thought the 5 minutes of frying at high was too much - maybe it is just my stove, but 3 minutes was enough to give a golden glow to the fishcakes.

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  • Binder photo melteaser

    18 October 2011

    melteaser rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Have made these many times. Always a favourite at any time of the year

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  • Binder photo Barbarella

    26 October 2011

    Barbarella rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Absolutely gorgeous, my partner loved these and said they were the best fishcakes he�d ever had! I halved the recipe for two and it worked well. I didn�t do the bread crumb and egg part, just made them, dusted them in flour, covered them and put them in the fridge for 20 minutes. Served with a carrot and cucumber salad, sweet potato chips and tartar sauce. Will be making these again and want to try the Thai version. Lovely!

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  • Binder photo rachelulu

    27 August 2012

    rachelulu rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really tasty. I only used 350 g of salmon and it made enough fish cakes to feed our family of 2 adults, a teen and two toddlers. They were a big hit all round. I served the fish cakes with corn on the cob, carrots and green beans. Only problem was the massive amount of washing up!

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  • Binder photo Belkey

    05 October 2012

    Belkey rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    these were great, but I would say they was ALOT of salmon in them, which does mean they are not very cost effective! Less salmon would be fine and probably still make a tasty fish cake.

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  • Binder photo Jacg

    12 October 2012

    Jacg rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Lorna

    17 November 2012

    Lorna commented on this recipe

    Very easy and very tasty, a good base Recipe to adapt and add your own flavours, next time i shall add a little extra zest and some lemon juice. Ideal to make a batch and freeze.

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  • Binder photo Lorna

    17 November 2012

    Lorna rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Forgot to rate

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Freezable

Ingredients

  • 800g skinless salmon fillets
  • 2 bay leaves
  • small bunch dill , stalks and fronds separated
  • 500ml milk
  • 600g Maris Piper potatoes , peeled and chopped into even sized chunks
  • zest 1 lemon
  • 4 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 4 tbsp capers , rinsed and dried
  • flour , for dusting your hands
  • 1 egg , beaten
  • 100g breadcrumbs
  • 4 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
  • lemon wedges and watercress, to serve
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Per serving

431 kcalories, protein 27.0g, carbohydrate 27.0g, fat 25.0 g, saturated fat 5.0g, fibre 2.0g, sugar 4.0g, salt 1.05 g

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