Meals for Under £10: Finnan Haddie Fishcakes and Parsley Cream

THIS week’s delicious recipe comes from John Quigley, the award-winning chef patron at Glasgow’s Red Onion restaurant.

John was a private chef to rock stars including Bryan Adams and Tina Turner, before heading home to Glasgow to open the Red Onion.

These fishcakes with parsley cream are totally tempting, yet straightforward to make.

You’ll need:

700g cooked, cooled potatoes, mashed

500g Finnan haddie

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp chopped capers

1 lemon zest and juice

100g breadcrumbs

4 spring onions finely sliced

1 chicken stock cube

25ml dry white wine

200ml double cream

2 tbsp chopped parsley

4 large handfuls mixed leaves

4 small handfuls defrosted frozen peas

Eggs for poaching

Method:

Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7/425F.

Place fish on non-stick baking tray and cook for 7-8 mins. It should be slightly under-done. Cool.

Mix the potato, fish, egg yolk, capers, lemon zest, parsley, spring onions and half the breadcrumbs. Season and mould into 8 fishcakes. Coat with remaining breadcrumbs and chill in fridge for 30 minutes.

Dissolve stock cube in 4-5 tbsp of hot water. Heat a small saucepan and add wine. Reduce by half. Add cream and stock, simmer till slightly thickened, add rest of parsley and lemon juice.

Fry fishcakes for 3 min either side, turning occasionally. In a separate pan, poach eggs.

Heat a wok and add a little butter, add peas and spinach and cook till wilted, season.

Arrange spinach and peas on plate, place fishcake and egg on top, pour over sauce.