Salmon cakes

Many years ago, I cooked a family recipe for fish cakes. It had onions, garlic, eggs, bread (cubed and soaked in milk), and ground coriander (spice), then crumbed (flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs) and shallow fried.
As much as I like the simplicity of that recipe, I wanted something different. I wanted something I could eat without needing to crumb and fry, if I had to. So I developed this recipe.

• 1kg potatoes, peeled, cubed and steamed and then mashed
• 400g tinned red salmon
• 3 spring onions, diced finely
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander (herb, aka cilantro)
• Bread crumbs

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients, adding a dash of milk if too dry and they won't hold together well
2. Crumb lightly
3. Fry until golden

You can eat this without crumbing and frying, as a simple spread for a sandwich.

I make these salmon cakes and serve them as a fish burger.

Anniversary dinner

For those of you who've been living under a rock, it was my wedding anniversary yesterday.
So, last night, I decided to make mustard crusted rack of lamb, hasselback potatoes and roasted asparagus. This is significant for a reason - the dinner at our wedding reception was mustard crusted rack of lamb. Off the top of my head, I cannot remember what the sides for it were, but I do remember the lamb. And last nights was pretty damned close, if slightly over cooked.

Hasselback potatoes

• garlic - 1 clove per person
• butter - 1 tablespoon for 2 people
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large potato per person

1. Make a garlic butter from softened butter and minced garlic. Season well
2. Peel each potato. Cut in half lengthways. 
3. Place flattened side of the potato on the chopping board. Along the length of the potato, cut into the potato to around 3mm from the base, around 3mm apart.
4. Rub the garlic butter into the top of the potatoes, attempting to get the butter into cuts.
5. Bake for ~45 minutes in a moderate (180C or 350F) oven.

Mustard crusted rack of lamb

• 1 lamb rack - 4 bones for on each - per person
• 1 tablespoon of English mustard per rack
• bread crumbs
• Olive oil for cooking
• Salt and pepper to season

1. For each person, prepare a 4 rib rack of lamb. These should be Frenched. Season well, and brown fat side first in a large oven proof frying pan (I used my trustworthy cast iron frying pan).
2. Remove the racks from the frying pan, rub English mustard over the now browned fat. Pat breadcumbs onto the mustard.
3. Return to pan, and place on the top shelf of the oven.
4. Cook until the potatoes are also done

Baked asparagus

• 4 fresh asparagus spears per person
• oil
• salt to taste

1. Place asparagus into an oven proof dish or frying pan (again, I used my trustworthy cast iron frying pan - this time, the medium sized one)
2. Coat well with olive oil (I used a lemon infused one) and season
3. Place on bottom shelf of oven for the last ten minutes of cooking time

The best potatoes you will ever eat

I have this rule for savoury meals. It's a really simple rule, too. Just about everything tastes better if you add cheese. And this recipe proves it. Though, the best-ness is magnified by the addition of diced onions and bacon.

Again, this is a "I don't measure anything" recipe, so make it in quantities you know will be eaten.

• Preheat oven to 180C (350F)
• Dice potatoes with skins still on, or peel and dice brushed potatoes
• Lightly spray the bottom of a lasagne dish with spray on oil
• Place potatoes in the dish in an even layer
• Spray the top of the potatoes again
• Cook for 30 minutes or so.

While the potatoes are cooking, dice a large onion and around 8 rashers of bacon. Mix these together with some mustard powder, or horseradish cream - or just leave them as they are.

• Remove potatoes from oven, stir through onions and bacon mix.
• Return to oven for 15 minutes
• Remove potatoes from oven again, and sprinkle generously with grated cheese
• Return to oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese is browned

I serve this as a side dish for barbecues, or as part of a roast dinner. I'd probably eat it every day, if I could afford the bacon.