Salmon Cakes

For my 25th birthday, my husband took me out for dinner. It was absolutely wonderful, of course. I like my birthday low key, no fuss, no party, just the two of us enjoying a relaxing evening.

That was the first time I tried crab cakes. It’s a fairly common dish in America, but it’s not something that Slavic people traditionally cook. We both thought it was amazing. That’s  a long introduction that’s off on a tangent, since it’s not my birthday and I’m not even going to show you a crab cake recipe:) The point is that trying the crab cakes made me want to try not only crab cakes, but other patties with seafood.

Since my husband and I both love salmon, I decided to give salmon cakes a try. It turned out even better than I expected. Tender flakes of salmon are seasoned with lemon juice, capers, parsley and onions. All these flavors are mild enough not to overwhelm the salmon but also give it such depth and character.

I didn’t want to use too much mayonnaise and breadcrumbs for a binding, as most recipes that I ran across did, so I used just a little bit. The result was spectacular and fairly simple to prepare. It’s also another dish that can be made ahead of time. Those are my favorite, of course.

Yields: about 16 salmon cakes

Ingredients:

2 lbs salmon, skinless, boneless

1 onion, minced

4 Tablespoons panko breadcrumbs for the cakes, plus 1 1/2 cups for breading

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon capers, minced

1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced (you can also add fresh chives or scallions)

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

1 1/2 – 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper

oil, for pan frying

Cut the salmon into 2-3 inch chunks. If you buy salmon with the skin on, like I did, here’s a link that shows how to take the skin off easily. Using a food processor, pulse the salmon in batches. You may want to partially freeze it for about 15 minutes, for better results. The fish should not be mushy and pureed, rather have a coarse texture, and be flaky. I pulsed my fish for about 3 pulses only. Using a nonstick skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of butter and cook the onion until tender and lightly golden. Cool slightly. Wipe out the skillet and set aside. Add all the ingredients except the oil and the additional 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs to the salmon. Gently toss together. Using an ice cream scoop (or your hands, of course), portion out the salmon. Dredge the salmon cakes in the breadcrumbs, shaping into 2-3 inch circles. Heat about 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat and cook the salmon for about 3 minutes per side, just until golden brown. The fish cooks very quickly, so don’t overcook it by using low heat or covering the skillet, etc. It will be dry, if you’re not careful.
Take the salmon cakes off the heat and drain on a paper towel. Wipe out the skillet and repeat with the rest of the salmon cakes.

Salmon Cakes

• Author: Olga's Flavor Factory
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 12 mins
• Total Time: 27 mins
• Yield: 16 salmon cakes 1x
• Category: Entree

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Ingredients

• 2 lbs salmon, skinless, boneless
• 1 onion, minced
• 4 Tablespoons panko breadcrumbs for the cakes, plus 1 1/2 cups for breading
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon capers, minced
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced (you can also add fresh chives or scallions)
• 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 – 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• oil, for pan frying

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Instructions

1. Cut the salmon into 2-3 inch chunks. Using a food processor, pulse the salmon in batches. You may want to partially freeze it for about 15 minutes, for better results. The fish should not be mushy and pureed, rather have a coarse texture, and be flaky. I pulsed my fish for about 3 pulses only.
2. Using a nonstick skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of butter and cook the onion until tender and lightly golden. Cool slightly. Wipe out the skillet and set aside.
3. Add all the ingredients except the oil and the additional 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs to the salmon. Gently toss together.
4. Using an ice cream scoop (or your hands, of course), portion out the salmon.
5. Dredge the salmon cakes in the breadcrumbs, shaping into 2-3 inch circles.
6. Heat about 1 1/ 2 tablespoons oil in a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat and cook the salmon for about 3 minutes per side, just until golden brown. The fish cooks very quickly, so don’t overcook it by using low heat or covering the skillet, etc. It will be dry, if you’re not careful.
7. Take off the heat and drain on a paper towel. Wipe out the skillet and repeat with the rest of the salmon cakes.

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