SALMON FISHCAKES WITH SORREL SAUCE AND SPINACH

This simple mixture of mashed potato and poached salmon has become one of the most famous dishes on our menu. It’s classic comfort food, perfect for Sunday nights when it’s cold outside.

Serves 6

600g (1lb 5oz) skinless, boneless salmon fillets

1ltr (1¾pt) light fish stock (or use half regular fish stock, half water), optional

500g (1lb 2oz) floury potatoes such as King Edward or Maris Piper 3 spring onions, finely chopped 2tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (save the stalks for the sauce)

1tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2tsp English mustard

1½tsp anchovy essence (or extract, available online)

1-2 drops of Tabasco sauce

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

800g (1lb 12oz) spinach

60g (2¼oz) unsalted butter

Plain flour, for dusting

1tbsp sunflower oil

For the sorrel sauce

50g (1¾oz) unsalted butter 40g (1½oz) plain flour

500ml (18fl oz) fish stock 150ml (5fl oz) white wine 2 banana shallots, diced A handful each of parsley and sorrel (a tart, lemony leaf, available online) stalks, plus 10-12 sorrel leaves, shredded 1tsp black peppercorns

200ml (7fl oz) double cream

To make the fishcakes, first cook the salmon. Either poach the fillet in the fish stock, or bake in an oven preheated to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4 for 15 minutes until just cooked. Leave to cool, roughly flake the fish and remove any bones.

Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water until tender, drain and mash until smooth, then leave to cool. Mix half the flaked salmon with the mashed potato, spring onions, chopped parsley, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, anchovy essence and Tabasco, and season well with salt and pepper. Fold in the remaining fish, then shape the mixture into 6 even- sized cakes. Leave until cool, then cover and chill in the fridge until needed.

For the sorrel sauce, melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute to make a roux. Gradually add the fish stock, whisking constantly until smooth. Reduce the heat and then simmer for 20 minutes until the mixture has thickened.

Put the white wine, shallots, parsley and sorrel stalks and peppercorns into another pan, bring to the boil and cook until reduced by half. Add the cream and reduce by a third. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into the stock pan, stir well and simmer until the sauce becomes shiny and reaches coating consistency. Season well and add the shredded sorrel leaves just before serving.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Wash the spinach and blanch for just a second in a pan of boiling salted water. Plunge into a bowl of iced water, drain and squeeze out all of the excess water. Melt half the butter in a large sauté pan, add the spinach, season and cook until piping hot.

Lightly dust the fishcakes with flour. Heat the oil with the remaining butter in a frying pan until hot. Add the fishcakes and cook until golden brown on one side before carefully turning over and cooking the other side until golden. You may need to do this in batches.

Place the fishcakes on a baking sheet and finish cooking in the hot oven for 5 minutes. To serve, arrange the spinach in the centre of each plate, top with a fishcake and pour the sorrel sauce over the top.