the end of the line for sushi- one addict's moral dilemma

A mixed sushi sashimi platter would without a doubt feature on my last meal list and is one of my guilty pleasures but with the concern around dwindling fish stocks I am begining to wonder if we can have our sushi and eat it?

Nobu in London may be hitting the headlines for not taking endangered bluefin tuna off the menu but in London, this dilemma does not have to exist, there is an alternative. Planet conscious Londoners can pop into sustainable sushi chain Moshi Moshi where sushi lovers can have all the pleasure without the guilt!

For those of us living this side of the channel, it is possible though with a little effort to enjoy guilt free sushi. It means only ordering sushi that comes from sustainable fish stocks. You will find a guide to what to order in your favorite sushi restaurant at the Blue Ocean Institute . For information on what fish is sustainable and when to eat it, take a look at Fishonline.org.

The problem is that sometimes even when fish from sustainable stocks is in season it can be expensive - the following recipe uses organic farmed atlantic salmon and easily serves six for a light dinner with an asian style salad. There is enough salmon to give these fish cakes a touch of luxury but not enough to break the bank. A good dish to serve for a Sunday brunch!

Guilt Free Spicy Salmon Fish Cakes with a Polenta Crust & chilli dipping sauce

You will need: 300g organic atlantic salmon (cooked - I normally steam for 10 minutes - and left to cool) 225g mashed potato 1/2 large finely onion chopped 25g buter 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander 1 red chili deseeded and finely chopped 1 large organic egg 2 tablespoons for fish sauce salt & freshly ground pepper to taste polenta sesame/olive oil to fry Flake the salmon into a bowl and add the mash potato and coriander Melt butter in saucepan and add onion and chili, sweat over a low heat until onions are soft then add to the bowl Add egg, fish sauce to bowl and season well with salt and pepper Mix well Form into 6 large or 12 small fish cakes Pour some polenta into a bowl and cover each fish cake in polenta The fish cakes can then be chilled in the fridge until needed To cook heat oil in pan on a medium heat and cook fish cakes until golden brown on each side and warmed through.

While you can use a ready made sweet chili sauce I served this with a sweet chilli dipping based on a Nigel Slatter recipe in The Observer on 31/05/2009

1 large hot chillies chopped finely but not deseeded (the recipe called for 2 but the french in my experience can not handle hot food!)
3 tbsps fish sauce
6 tbsps water
3 tpsps rice vinegar
6 tbsps rice syrup (or caster sugar)
a thumb size ginger - (I crushed mine in the garlic press)
juice of 2 limes
2 tps soy sauce

Put water, fish sauce, rice syrup and rice vinegar into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then add ginger and boil until mixture starts to thicken slightly, let cool, then add soy sauce, lime juice and chilli.

However if you don't want to make the dipping sauce these are almost as equally good served with shop bought with a sweet chilli sauce. I serve these with a light asia style salad

You will have to wait until the next time I cook these to see some photos, they were all gobbled up by the time I got my camera out!