Wednesday, 4/21/2010

ZESTY SALMON CAKES

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes (per batch)
Makes 6 large or 18 appetizer size cakes








Ingredients:
14 oz can of wild red or pink salmon (2 cups fresh cooked salmon can also be used
2 eggs, beaten
12 saltine crackers, crushed fine (I like to use 6 crackers and 1/4 cup panko break crumbs)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp chopped capers
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
fresh lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation:

1. Add the salmon to a mixing bowl. (Due to the way it's processed, any bones found in canned salmon are very soft and edible, and should be mixed right in. If you want to take the time you can pick through the meet fairly quickly and remove them.) Add the rest of the ingredients, except the oil and butter, and mix with a fork until well combined.

2. Shape into 6 patties about an inch thick (or 18 for appetizers). Heat the oil and butter in a saute pan on medium heat until the butter melts. Saute the salmon cakes for 5 minutes per side until golden brown. Serve hot with fresh lemon if you would like.

I have made this recipe several times, each time using fresh salmon that I pre-baked. This week I bought pre-seasoned salmon, lemon pepper, from the meat counter thinking it would add even more flavor. I won't do it again. The salmon was salted and I didn't think to compensate for that in the recipe. So, the cakes were a bit salty for my tastes. Better to stick with plain salmon. The ingredients in the recipe give it plenty of flavor.

Tonight I baked the salmon just before I mixed it into the other ingredients. I think I should have waited a bit so that some of the moisture could evaporate. The cakes were a bit moist and didn't stay together as well as I would have liked. I also didn't make them as thick as the recipe calls for, so that could have compromised how well they held up against handling and turning. Even though they didn't turn well and were a bit salty, they were still enjoyable. I mixed up my standard fish dip (ketchup, mayo, and worchestershire sauce) and had a small mixed green salad on the side.

Katie had grapes and strawberries along with her fish cake. She likes the dip too:)