Always a favourite, these are lightly spiced with Mexican flavours. Make them smaller and serve them in taco shells with all the trimmings.

Ingredients

• 750 grams potatoes, peeled
• 250 grams smoked fish or cooked white fish
• ½ small red onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp Mexican chilli powder
• 1 tsp each ground cumin and coriander
• 2 tblsp fresh coriander, chopped

avocado salsa

• 2 ripe avocados, stoned, peeled and cubed
• ½ small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• ¼ cup chopped fresh coriander
• juice one lemon

Method

1. Cut the potatoes into even-sized pieces and cook in boiling salted water for about 5-6 minutes until half cooked. Drain and cool.
2. Shred the fish into bite-sized pieces, discarding any bones or skin.
3. Grate the potatoes into a large bowl and mix together with the shredded smoked fish, onion, garlic, chilli powder, cumin, coriander and fresh coriander. Season to taste with salt. Press the mixture into 12 even-sized patties. Refrigerate until required.
4. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook each patty for about 5 minutes turning once. Serve warm with the Avocado Salsa and your favourite salad greens with a grilled lemon half.

avocado salsa

1. Halve, stone and peel the avocados. Dice the flesh and place in a bowl with the red onion, chilli, coriander and lemon juice. Season with salt.

Cooks Tips

- Mexican chilli powder is a blend of chilli, cumin, oregano, paprika, garlic and salt. Keep a jar on hand for an instant flavour boost.

- Leftover cooked fish is ideal to use here, as are frozen fillets, which can be baked or poached from frozen. Also ideal is canned salmon or tuna.

- If you buy coriander with the root on, chop the root finely and add as it has lots of flavour.

- Adding the grated rind of a lemon will add a refreshing bite.

- If spices are not popular in your house, mix the potatoes with the fish, onion and garlic. Remove the amount you need to make into fish cakes for the kids. Add the spices and herbs to the remaining mix.

- As an alternative serving option have mayonnaise and salad instead of avocado salsa.

- As a variation try the fish cakes on toast, spread with mayonnaise or avocado salsa.