This fusion Vietnamese inspired dish is both light yet filling. The samphire is optional, but the dill isn’t. 

For the fish cakes:

110g salmon, skinned
120g haddock
1 tbsp fish sauce
½ small shallot, very finely chopped
1 x 20g pack dill leaves, finely chopped
1 salad onion, thinly chopped
½ lime, zest
½ mild red chilli, sliced 

Light oil to fry the fish cakes

For the broth:
1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 shallot, finely sliced
300ml light vegetable stock

300ml water
15g fresh root ginger, finely chopped/grated with a micro plane
2 tbsp fish sauce

A few drops of soy sauce to taste

To serve:

160g udon or rice  noodles 

2 good handfuls of  watercress leaves

2 good handfuls of samphire (if in season)

A handful of Thai basil chopped (optional)

1 salad onion, sliced

The remainder of the chopped dill

• Chop the salmon and haddock quite finely, then blitz briefly so the fish still has some texture. Put in a bowl and mix in the fish sauce. Then add the shallot, ½ the dill, 1 salad onion, the lime zest and chilli. Mix together well. Lightly grease a plate or tray with a little oil. Take a lump of the fish cake mixture and form a patty about 4cm diameter with your hand; put on the greased plate. Repeat with the remaining mixture to make about 6 fish cakes. Pop in the fridge to firm up.

• Meanwhile, for the broth, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat; fry the sliced shallots until golden (about 8-10 minutes) – don’t let them burn. Then transfer to a bowl and set aside (keep the frying pan for later). Meanwhile, put the stock, water, ginger, fish sauce in a medium pan. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, to let the ginger infuse. Meanwhile, cook and drain the noodles. Set aside

• When ready to serve, put the frying pan back on the heat with 1 tbsp oil and fry the fish cakes until golden on both sides (about 3-4 minutes). In two shallow bowls divide up the watercress leaves, the remaining salad onion, a little black pepper, the samphire (if using). Bring the broth to a boil, then ladle into each bowl; this will cook the samphire and infuse additional flavour into the broth. Top with the fishcakes, the fried shallots  and strew with the herbs. Serve immediately.