Salmon Rissoles with a delicious Herb and Spiced Yoghurt Dressing

Call them Salmon rissoles, fish cakes, fish rissoles, or salmon cakes, they've been called all of these names over the years, because this is a retro recipe which I've been eating as long as I can remember. I've revamped these with a few optional ingredients, but the basic combination of mashed potato, beaten egg, flour, breadcrumbs and tinned red salmon remains the same.

 I know many cooks resist frying in hot oil if they can bake instead, as I do, but I need no convincing to fry them when the result is a delicious crunchy panko crumb crust and a soft, adorable fishy middle of buttery slightly chunky potato and chunks of salmon. I've tried baking these, admittedly I baked them crumbed, and the results were quite average compared to frying them.

This is a meal on a budget. What separates this recipe from many of the ones out there now is that I've used tinned red salmon, not fresh fish. A can of salmon and 750 g of spuds can feed up to 8 people. The last time I cooked these I made 10 rissoles. We are constantly hearing now about the rising cost of living, and how difficult it is for many families to put a meal on the table. Food on a budget doesn't need to compromise on flavour. For starters, who doesn't love the taste of fried food, unfortunately a lot of it in the form of fast food just isn't healthy. These salmon rissoles are both nutritious for the whole family and tasty and cheap and cheerful.

Frying your salmon rissoles. Cooking fish rissoles requires a certain technique because the mixture is soft and can break up in the frying pan. However, a few essential steps will prevent that from happening. Before cooking, the rissoles must be refrigerated first for at least an hour to firm them up, the longer the better. Assemble them in the morning, refrigerate them covered for the whole day and then cook them for dinner that night. The oil in the pan needs to be hot, and I prefer vegetable oil to olive oil for frying these. I started mine with just a few in the pan, with the heat set on moderately high at no. 7 on my electric stovetop and cooked one side until I could see it was golden brown and firm and crisp. Then carefully turn them over until the other side is also golden brown and crispy, lower the heat, flatten the rissoles slightly with a spatula and cook them for a further 5 minutes on a lower heat. Remove those onto a plate covered with paper, to drain, and continue cooking.

2nd Cooking option

Just douse the fishcakes in flour, instead of in egg and breadcrumbs.

I tried frying them with just a coating of flour, not coated with egg and breadcrumbs and they turned out really well but I still prefer them cooked in egg and breadcrumbs. Just saying.

Ingredients:

MAKES 8 RISSOLES

415 g can red salmon, drained and flaked quite coarsely

750 g waxy potatoes such as Desiree, peeled, chopped coarsely.

1 lightly beaten egg

3 green onions, chopped finely

2 tablespoons chopped dill or parsley

2 tablespoons drained baby capers

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

1/2 cup (35 g) fresh breadcrumbs (panko breadcrumbs could be used)

plain flour, for dusting

vegetable oil, for shallow frying

2 beaten eggs for coating in egg and breadcrumbs

Panko breadcrumbs

lemon halves, salad leaves, for serving

Herb & spiced yoghurt to serve

Method:

Cook the potatoes as you wish. Boil them, steam them or microwave them until cooked and tender. Drain and cool. I prefer to boil them; it doesn't take very long.

Remove potatoes from the saucepan, place in a large shallow bowl, and coarsely mash them with a fork. They don't need to be finely mashed as you would for mashed potato. Leaving some slightly larger chunky pieces brings added texture to the salmon rissoles.

Add the drained salmon, egg, dill, green onions, capers, lemon rind, and stale breadcrumbs.

Season the mixture with some sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Stir it all together to combine, trying to leave some chunks of salmon in there as well.

Wash and dampen your hands, wear light plastic gloves if you prefer but I like to handle the food.

Select about 1/2 cup of mixture at a time, and shape into 8 rissoles. Mine made 10.

Coat each rissole in egg and breadcrumbs. Coat rissoles in seasoned flour, then dunk each one in beaten egg. Then roll each rissole in Panko breadcrumbs.

Refrigerate the rissoles. Place the rissoles onto a paper lined tray and refrigerate for 1 hour if possible.

Heat 2 cm oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat; cook rissoles, in batches, for 3 to 4 minutes each side or until golden brown. 

Place cooked rissoles on a paper line plate to drain or on a cake rack over a try.

Keep warm in a low oven on 50-100 deg C. until ready to serve.

Herb and spiced yoghurt to serve:

Scrape the seeds from a long fresh green chilli and chop it up coarsely.

In the food processor, blend the chilli, 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, 2 cloves crushed garlic and 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin until finely chopped.

Add 1 cup Greek-style yoghurt to the food processor bowl and give it a quick whizz to combine, closing the vent of the lid as you do so. Taste and season.

The yoghurt recipe was provided by The Australian Women's Weekly.

This Herb and Spiced yoghurt was perfect with the rissoles, I just loved it, and I had all of the ingredients on hand. It was so simple to make. However, Aioli, or traditional tartare sauce are also popular with fish cakes and seafood, and lemon must be served with them. 

Fish rissoles whether made with tinned salmon or tuna, shouldn't be expensive to make. They can be fancied up even further, by adding even more flavorsome ingredients like garlic, different herbs, or an onion instead of spring onions, however, cook those first. My Mother used to make them for goodness' sake, and I still love them. To my way of thinking, salmon or any fish rissoles must contain mashed potato. It's essential. I think any ordinary type of potato will do. No need to be particular with the potato, this is meant to be an economical meal and even potatoes are expensive these days. Cooked salmon rissoles are also suitable to freeze for an easy night on the run. 

Serve with a fresh salad and figs as an option as they are in season, the yoghurt dressing, lemon halves, beetroot relish for some extra colour and flavour on the plate and this will be a meal you will remember and want over and over again.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Warm wishes

Pauline