Haddock fishcakes with radish and watercress salad and lemon crème fraiche dressing

by Paul Warburton on 01 April 2010  |  0 comments
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Check out this amazing recipe for haddock fishcakes with radish and watercress salad and lemon crème fraiche dressing – for £1.41 per person!

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Haddock fishcakes with radish and watercress salad and lemon crème fraiche dressing (Serves 4)

We have light in the evenings! So this week a good solid spring dish seems appropriate. I know this won’t be eaten al fresco, but you could look at the window whilst you eat it. This is a classic combination of ingredients and I’ve gone slightly leftfield with the radishes in the watercress salad – you will find the heat in the radishes really works though. 

Ingredients

• 340g of haddock (£2.71)
• 200g of radishes (68p)
• 77g of watercress (£1)
• 300ml of crème fraiche
• 1 lemon (30p)

The cupboard staples...

Salt, black pepper, olive oil, flour, potatoes (350g) and milk (1 pint)

Total cost

If you already have the cupboard staples, then according to mysupermarket.co.uk, this trolley was cheapest at Sainsbury’s where it came to £5.67 - that's £1.41 per head!

Instructions

• Best thing to do is make the fishcakes first as they’ll need to be firmed up in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before you cook them. Cube the potatoes and get them in some salted boiling water and cook as you would usually, drain and set to one side to cool down slightly. Whilst the potatoes are cooking simmer the fish in the milk for around 7 minutes and turn the heat off and leave to stand for 3 minutes (add a bay leaf and some peppercorns to the milk if you have them).
• Now grab a large bowl, add the potatoes and break up with a fork (so you have a rough mash) and season well - then drain the fish and flake into the potatoes. Fold the mixture (don’t break up the fish too much) and shape into 4 cakes – the easiest way to shape them is to flour your hands and roll into a ball and pat down into a cake shape. Once made place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
• The dressing is really easy – just add the juice and zest of one lemon to the crème fraiche along with a good twist of black pepper.
• For the salad (its fine to make up in advance); finely slice the radishes and mix well with the watercress salad. When you’re ready to serve the dish toss the salad in some olive oil, a pinch of sugar and some seasoning.
• To cook the fishcakes, get a frying pan on a medium heat and add a good glug of olive oil. Wait for the oil to get hot and then dust some flour on the fishcakes and add to the pan. They will need around 5 minutes on each side. You’re looking for a golden brown colour on both sides.
• Serve with the salad and a drizzle of the dressing over the fishcakes.  
• Happy eating!

A bit about the Frugal Recipes chef, Paul Warburton

Paul Warburton, a lovemoney.com staff member, had a hectic career in the world of hot kitchens and screaming chefs before joining the lovemoney.com products development team.

During these years, under the tutorage of some great chefs, he honed his skills in cooking for numbers within a tight cost and portion-controlled environment.

Now he's planning to regularly offer his help to all budding chefs in the lovemoney.com community, so you can enjoy his original, low-cost recipes with your family and friends every Friday for free!

What lovemoney.com readers have said about Paul's other recipes

"We enjoyed this recipe very much: easy to make and even easier to eat!" varneyrob

"I made this recipe and it was absolutely delicious! Seriously good! Five of us feasted on it, and feasted well..." Ibeshy

"I made this recipe on Saturday night, and my 13 year-old son promptly requested it again for the following night!" Malcolm Wheatley

"This is a cracking risotto recipe. Just had it for lunch & it's a winner. More recipes please. Thanks." SavvyLass

"Another delicious offering from Paul. Thank you - keep 'em coming!" Palefire

Please add your own comments using the comments box below!

If you like this recipe, why not also try Paul's other Frugal Recipes:

Prawn and pea risotto | Honey roasted gammon and apples with champ | Hot chocolate fondants with crème Chantilly  | Shin of beef, kidney and ale pie | Tandoori chicken with coconut rice & mint raita | Homemade gnocchi with a tomato & thyme sauce, spinach and ricotta  | Frugal Pancakes | Griddled black pudding, chimichurri mash and caramelised apples  | Mixed bean and coriander green curry with fragrant rice  | Lamb koftas with a feta, mint and chickpea salad & chilli grilled pittas  | Pork, rosemary and white bean ravioli with a chilli tomato sauce  | Sausage & leek casserole with parsley dumpings | Pork, chorizo & cannellini bean stew | Rabbit, bacon & thyme pie | Potato rosti with creamed spinach and poached egg | Pumpkin and sage risotto | Slow braised oxtail with autumn mash | Spiced whole mackerel with chickpea salad | Twice cooked belly pork (with gravy) parsnips and sweet apple red cabbage | Roasted pheasant | Portobello mushroom, port and stilton wellington | Lemon tart with fresh vanilla mascarpone | Massaman curry |  Smoked mackerel pate on crostini and red onion confit  |Rolled breast of lamb with garlic mash and Savoy cabbage | Lemon & rosemary chicken thighs |  Thai Pollock curry with egg noodles | Chunky pea and ham soup| Spaghetti alla carbonara | Pork stroganoff | Green chilli meat balls, sunflower seed couscous salad and mint yoghurt |  Tagliatelle with air dried cured ham and minted peas | Beef, thyme and mushroom loaf with potato dauphinoise | Mixed bean and coriander green curry with fragrant rice | Egg Florentine with smoked cheddar and rocket salad | Beef, mushroom and thyme pie | Spicy tuna, bean and coriander lasagne |  Beef koftas with a feta, spinach and fresh mint salad | Chorizo and pea risotto | Sausage and rosemary hotpot | Beef & thyme (Lancashire) hotpot

Remember, if you're registered on lovemoney.com, you can follow this blog and find new posts as soon as they are published, via your personal homepage. Never miss a frugal recipe again - register now.