Salmon and Potato Cakes
Soft patties made with boneless, flaked salmon, mashed potato and peas. A simple way to get toddlers eating fish.
- prep
- 20 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total
- 35 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- easy
Getting a toddler to eat fish is easier when it is shaped into something familiar, and a soft potato cake studded with flaked salmon and peas does that well.
The one step worth real care here is checking the salmon for bones, slowly and by hand, even when the fillet is labeled boneless. A quick visual check is not enough; run it through your fingers.
If your little one is still earlier in the journey, start with our Baby's First Foods guide.
Part of our 20 toddler meal ideas list.
method
Flake the cooked salmon with a fork, running your fingers through it carefully and slowly to check for any small bones.
Mix the flaked salmon, mashed potato, mashed peas, egg, breadcrumbs and herbs if using in a bowl until well combined.
Shape into small patties, about 5 to 6 cm across, flattened enough to cook through evenly.
Lightly coat each patty in a few extra breadcrumbs.
Heat the butter in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat and cook the patties for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden and heated all the way through.
Cool to a safe warm temperature. Cut into smaller pieces if needed before serving.
chef's tips
- Checking carefully for bones is the single most important step here, even with fillets sold as boneless. Run flaked salmon slowly through your fingers before mixing it with anything else.
- Mashing the peas rather than leaving them whole avoids a small, round choking hazard that is easy to overlook in a mixed dish.
- Keep the patties on the smaller side and flattened, which cooks more evenly through the middle than a thick, ball-shaped patty.
- These freeze well, uncooked, between layers of parchment, so you can cook a couple at a time from frozen with a few extra minutes in the pan.