WHAT DO you give a hungry family for tea this time of year that is healthy and homemade?

Fishcakes of course, served with a nice zesty salad and garden peas (or corn on the cob) with a plate of chips for the kids.

This will satisfy and is guaranteed to fill bellies fast!

Us Yorkshire folks call the fishcake ''cake or scone'' in our fish and chip shops – but this doesn’t mean one made with mashed potato and parsley.

Instead they are made with two slices of potato and white fish like cod sandwiched in the middle, then lightly seasoned and coated in batter before being deep fried in lard or dripping.

Most people today would be alarmed about using these traditional fats, but the taste it imparts to the end product is astounding, and it is best eaten with chips, mushy peas and a shake of salt and vinegar.

The traditional fishcake for most of us consists of filleted salted sea fish which can be cod, haddock or Pollock, bound together with a potato patty or occasionally eggs.

This mix is lightly seasoned with parsley or dill, then often coated in golden breadcrumbs before being lightly fried till cooked.

Mrs Beeton's 19th century cook book stated fishcakes are a good way of using up leftovers that might otherwise be thrown away, and she's right. It’s funny how the clock turns around!

Most modern recipes have added to the dish, with salmon one of the most popular fish used in the making of fishcakes.

This is the perfect marriage of convenience, probably due to cod stocks being depleted. It is an ideal alternative, being an oily fish and having juicy textures and dense flakes that are great for bonding together, without getting too mushy with the potatoes.

When I went in search of perfection in my quest to pack flavour and texture into my homemade fishcakes I went with my own family preferences – we all love pink salmon and dill.

Like most recipes, you can adapt your fishcakes with any filling you like: it’s also a great way to use up both tinned and leftover fish. Remember it all has to be sealed in with egg and breadcrumbs before frying.

Another great tip when making homemade fishcakes is to double or triple the quantities and freeze batches for another day. Just make sure you defrost them thoroughly before using them.

Get the kids involved in kitchen with the mashing and forming of the fishcakes before rolling them in the golden crunchy breadcrumbs. They will thank you with clean plates afterwards.

Not only do homemade fishcakes taste tons better than the pre-packed ones, you also know exactly what’s going into them: often the cheap basic factory-made ones are filled with things you'd rather not eat.

Serving recommendations? I would always recommend keeping it very simple using cooked garden peas served with a nice crispy green salad and a big wedge of lemon on the side. If you must, a dollop of mayonnaise or homemade tartar sauce (recipe below), but please no ketchup, it’s sacrilege.

Oh, I nearly forgot – you also need the large glass of chilled white wine!