Thermomix Salmon Fishcakes

These salmon fishcakes are always a popular dinner in my house. I'm not going to lie - they're a bit of a labour of love. They take a little time to make, with several different elements coming together.

But I think they're worth it!

They are crisp on the outside, soft on the inside and have a comforting, home-cooked deliciousness about them.

The recipe makes 12 fishcakes, so are great for feeding the family or for when friends come round. I would usually serve two per person, but it's not unusual for people to want a third as they are incredibly moreish!

Even if you are making for a smaller number of people, it's worth making the full recipe, as they freeze well and can be pulled out of the freezer later for a quick and easy meal.

Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients for this recipe. Exact quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Potatoes - fluffy, all-purpose potatoes are fine. Popular varieties for mashing include Russets, Sebago, Maris Pipers and Yukon Gold.
• Milk 
• Butter 
• Salmon fillets - skinless, boneless
• Parsley - dill also works beautifully with salmon, or you can use a combination of both.
• Spring onions
• Lemon - used for the zest, plus wedges for serving
• Flour - for dredging the fishcakes
• Egg - for coating with breadcrumbs
• Panko breadcrumbs - you can use normal breadcrumbs but Panko will give a crisper surface
• Garlic salt - to flavour the breadcrumbs
• Salt & Pepper

Make ahead tips

Although these fishcakes take time to make, you can easily break up the prep time and make many of the elements ahead of time. Here are some ideas for making light work of this recipe:

• You can pre-cook both the salmon and mashed potato and leave in the fridge until ready to assemble.
• You can pre-make the fishcakes and leave in the fridge until ready to cook.
• You can use leftover mashed potato or cooked salmon.
• They freeze really well. So perfect for batch making for a quick and easy meal later.

There are four steps to this fishcake recipe:

• Step 1: Cook the salmon
• Step 2: Make the mashed potato
• Step 3: Assemble the fishcakes
• Step 4: Cook the fishcakes.

You also need to chill both the salmon and mashed potato before assembling the fishcakes. Like I said, a bit of a labour of love 🙂

Step 1: Cook the salmon

Cooking salmon using the Thermomix could not be easier. We're going to use the Varoma tray and steaming function.

Place the salmon fillets in the Varoma tray. Season with salt & pepper and put the lid on.

Half-fill the Thermomix bowl with water and place the Varoma tray on top of the Thermomix.

Use the Steaming mode for 15 - 20 minutes. If you have an older model without the steaming mode, use the Varoma setting.

After 15 minutes, check the thickest part of your thickest fillet to see if it is cooked. If not, steam for a further 5 minutes.

Set the salmon aside in a clean bowl to cool and refrigerate until completely cold (overnight is fine).

Step 2: Make the mashed potato

The Thermomix also makes light work out of making mashed potato.

Start by peeling your potatoes and cutting them into into 2cm cubes. Try to make the sizes of potato pieces as equal as possible to ensure even cooking.

Place them into the Thermomix bowl and add the milk.

Now cook for 20 minutes / 100 degrees / speed 1.

At the end of this time, check that they are fully cooked. They should be very tender and falling apart.

Next insert the butterfly and add the butter. Season with pepper and mash for 5 seconds / speed 3.

Check to see if they are properly mashed. If not, repeat for a further 5 seconds.

Top Tip: Do not over-mash, as the potatoes will end up gluey.

Transfer to a clean bowl and allow to cool and then chill in the fridge until completely cold (overnight is fine).

Step 3: Assemble the fishcakes

First we need to mix everything together. Start by roughly chopping the spring onions and adding them to the Thermomix bowl, together with the parsley.

Chop them for 3 seconds / speed 7. Then add the lemon zest and mashed potato to the bowl and mix it all together for 10 seconds / REVERSE / Speed 3.

Next flake the salmon (either with your fingers or a fork) and add it into the bowl and use the spatula to mix everything together.

Cover your work surface generously with flour. The fishcake mixture is quite soft and sticky so you will need plenty of flour for dredging.

Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions (this is what I do, you can also choose to make your fishcakes bigger or smaller).

Take each portion and roll it in the flour then use your hands to shape it into a patty shape.

Now it's time to crumb the fishcakes: You'll need two large flat dishes.

Crack the egg into one of the dishes and whisk it up with a fork. In the other dish, mix together the breadcrumbs and garlic salt.

Now take each patty, dip it in the egg, and then press gently into the breadcrumbs, turning to coat all sides.

Step 4: Cook the fishcakes.

There are two ways I like to cook these fishcakes:

• shallow fry them in olive oil
• cook them in the air fryer.

We had a taste-off recently and we couldn't decide which version we preferred - so I say go with whichever you find easier!

Remember - the salmon and potato are already cooked. We are just trying to make the breadcrumb crust nice and golden brown and make sure the fishcakes are piping hot throughout.

To shallow fry them: heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan then cook the fishcakes over a medium-high heat until golden brown, turning as necessary. I find they take around 3 minutes each side.

Drain them briefly on kitchen paper, then keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest.

To cook in the air fryer: pre-heat the air fryer to 200 degrees. Spray the fishcakes with olive oil and air fry for around 10 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown and crisp.

What to Serve with Salmon Fishcakes

• Green salad
• Steamed greens finished with a little Thermomix garlic butter
• Peas
• Homemade Thermomix Aioli
• Homemade Thermomix Mayonnaise blended with lemon zest & lemon juice
• Homemade tartare sauce
• Lemon wedges