My wife and I have been making these fish cakes for our kids since we were living in the UK. They love them, even our middle child, Herb, who is the fussiest eater. In the UK we’d use hot smoked mackerel, as it was cheap and plentiful in London. It’s a little harder to find in Australia, but hot smoked salmon or trout works really well instead. You need to pick through the fish thoroughly, to make sure there are no bones.
The difference between hot smoked and sliced smoked salmon is the smoking temperature. Hot smoked salmon is cooked using hot smoke, whereas regular smoked salmon is cured using smoke that is cool. Using hot smoked fish means this dish is just a little easier and quicker to put together, because the fish flakes very easily and the flavour is slightly stronger.
These fish cakes can be eaten cold, so they’re great for kiddies’ lunch boxes. We send Ruby to school with them, along with some sweet chilli sauce to dip them in. They’re also delicious served with a cucumber and yoghurt salad.