Salmon fishcakes with watercress mayonnaise
Give your fishcakes the dinner party treatment with James Martin's simple but special recipe.
Ingredients
For the salmon fishcakes
- 225g/8oz floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 40²µ/¾´Ç³ú butter
- 6 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 375g/13oz salmon fillets, diced into 1cm/½in pieces
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- small handful watercress, to serve
For the salmon tartare
- 175g/6oz good-quality salmon fillet, skinned, finely diced
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh chives
- 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
For the watercress mayonnaise
- 2 handfuls watercress, leaves picked
- 200ml/7floz rapeseed or light olive oil
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp English mustard powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lemon, juice only
Method
For the salmon fishcakes, boil the potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 12-18 minutes, or until tender. Drain and return to the pan, then place over the heat for one minute to drive off any excess moisture. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer into a bowl, then set aside to cool slightly.
Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the spring onions for 2-3 minutes, or until just softened.
Stir the spring onions, parsley, lemon zest and juice into the potatoes and stir until well combined.
Season with plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper, then add the salmon and carefully fold together.
Divide the mixture into eight small fishcakes.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the fishcakes for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and golden-brown on both sides.
For the salmon tartare, place all of the ingredients into a bowl and stir until well combined.
For the watercress mayonnaise, blanch the watercress in a pan of boiling water for one minute. Drain, refresh in iced water and then squeeze out the excess liquid.
Blend the watercress and oil in a blender until smooth.
Blend the egg yolks, vinegar, mustard, salt and lemon juice into a food processor until well combined. With the motor still running, slowly add the watercress oil until incorporated and the mixture has become mayonnaise. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To serve, spoon the watercress onto serving plates and spread out into a circle. Spoon a layer of tartare on top, then some watercress and finally a fishcake.
