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By Chef Charles Noorland, Audley Fairmile

Light and beautifully balanced, this fishcake is a refined version of a traditional favourite. With a single light crumb layer and served alongside crushed garden peas and tartare sauce, it’s a perfect summer lunch or supper.

Why we love it:

This dish lets the natural smokiness of the haddock shine, with brightness from lemon and capers and richness from a soft poached egg. It’s high in protein, low in saturated fat, and irresistibly satisfying.

Ingredients (serves 1–2):

Fishcake:

• 60g natural smoked haddock
• 25g dry mashed potato
• 15g crème fraîche
• 1 egg (plus half an egg for coating)
• 5g chopped fresh chives
• 5g baby capers
• Zest and juice of half a lemon
• 50g white flour
• 50g panko breadcrumbs
• Sea salt and ground white pepper

Tartare Sauce:

• Mayonnaise
• 1 banana shallot (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp capers (chopped)
• 1 tbsp gherkins (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

To Serve:

• 50g frozen garden peas
• Good-quality olive oil
• 1 fresh egg (for poaching)

Method:

1. Prep the fishcake:
   Steam or poach the haddock gently until medium-rare (don’t overcook). Remove the skin and flake into chunky pieces. Let it cool.
2. In a bowl, fold together the flaked fish, capers, lemon zest and juice, chives, crème fraîche, and mashed potato. Season with sea salt and ground white pepper. Be careful not to overwork.
3. Mould the mixture into cakes and refrigerate until firm. 
4. Coat in flour, beaten egg and panko breadcrumbs. Chill again before cooking.
5. Cook the fishcake: Shallow-fry in clean rapeseed oil at 180°C until golden for XX minutes (if you have a thermometer the core should reach 75°C) . Drain on kitchen paper.
6. Poach the egg: Simmer salted water with a dash of white wine vinegar. Crack in your egg and gently poach until the white is set but the yolk remains runny. 
7. Make the tartare sauce:
   Mix mayonnaise with chopped shallot, capers, gherkins and parsley.
8. Prepare the peas: Blanch peas for 3-4 minutes in boiling water, season, crush lightly with a whisk and stir through a splash of olive oil.
9. To serve: Plate the hot fishcake on a bed of peas, top with poached egg, and a spoonful of tartare sauce. 

By Chef John Scales, Audley Wycliffe Park

This main course combines rich and smoky flavours with bright herby notes. It’s as balanced as it is bold – offering lean protein, fibre-packed greens and punchy South American flair.

Why we love it:

The pork is juicy and satisfying, the Hispi cabbage adds a deliciously smoky crunch, and the chimichurri gives everything a vibrant zing. It’s a complete dish that looks impressive, tastes incredible, and is surprisingly simple to make at home.

Chimichurri: The Star of the Plate

Originating in Argentina and Uruguay, chimichurri is a raw, herby sauce traditionally used with grilled meats. Ours is parsley-forward with heat from red chilli, depth from garlic, and brightness from red wine vinegar. Once you’ve made it, you’ll want to drizzle it on everything.

Chimichurri Ingredients:

• 100g flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
• 30g red chilli (finely chopped)
• 20g garlic (peeled and minced)
• 10g dried oregano
• 30ml red wine vinegar
• 10g sea salt
• 200ml good olive oil

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and let sit for 30 minutes for flavours to meld.

Pork Dish Ingredients (serves 2):

• 2 pork loin chops
• 1 Hispi cabbage (cut into quarters, core intact)
• 2 large potatoes (cut into your desired shape)
• Beef fat or oil (for confit)

Method:

1. Prep the cabbage: Blanch the cabbage quarters in boiling water for 3 minutes, then chill quickly in cold water to keep vibrant colour and bite.
2. Cook the potatoes: Add the potatoes to a shallow small baking dish and pour in enough olive oil or beef fat to just submerge the potatoes. (The amount of oil will depend on the size of your vessel.) Bake for about an hour in the oven at 160C until tender.
3. Cook the pork:
   Season and chargrill the pork chops to get beautiful sear marks, then finish in a preheated oven until cooked through but still juicy.
4. Chargrill the cabbage: Pat dry and grill until you achieve caramelised bar marks. 
5. Reheat fondant potatoes: Pop in the oven for a final blast to crisp up slightly before plating.
6. To serve:
   Place the pork chop at the centre, add the fondant potato and grilled cabbage, and finish with a generous spoonful of chimichurri.

Try Them Yourself

Whether you’re hosting a summer dinner party or looking to elevate a weekday meal, these dishes bring restaurant-quality flavour to your own table.

We’d love to see your creations – let us know how you got on! Bon appétit from all of us at Audley Villages.

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