Salmon Cakes

SALMON CAKES
about six 3 inch cakes
We love crab cakes- but finding good affordable lump crab meat in a land locked state can be a challenge. So, I made a few changes to my crab cake recipe and came up with this- These cakes are light and moist- with a nice little crunch with every bite. You can make the patties well in advance of cooking.

12 oz salmon fillet poached
1 egg
1 T fresh dill -removed from stems and torn into little bits
1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup mayo
1 heaping T dijon mustard
2 T coarse grated red onion and it’s juices*
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t kosher salt
a few grindings of black pepper
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 T butter +1 T olive oil for frying
To poach the salmon:
Fill a deep saute pan with cold water- add a few peppercorns and lemon slices. Place the salmon in the cold water and cover with a tight lid. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. It should take about 10 minutes - watch carefully- when steam starts coming out under the lid- turn the heat off and let the fish sit in the hot water for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool before handling.
When the fish is cool enough to handle - remove the skin and using your hands pull the fish into chunks- one inch or so.
In a mixing bowl, Add the egg, and whisk with a fork. Add everything else- except the salmon and combine well. Again using your hands- carefully fold in the salmon till everything is evenly combined- being careful not to break up the salmon too much. Form into patties that are about 3 inch in diameter and 1 inch high. Place the panko crumbs on a plate and gently dip the moist cakes into the crumbs coating both sides and edges.
At this point you can refrigerate the cakes for later cooking. I like to line a baking sheet with foil that has been spread with a little oil and cover them and put them in the fridge.

To cook the salmon cakes:
Pre-heat the oven to 350. Put the butter and oil in an oven proof saute pan- I like non- stick for cooking these.Brown the cakes on medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side. Then,put them in the oven - for about 8 minutes to finish cooking. Don’t over cook. Serve with remoulade or tzatziki sauce.
I use a coarse micro planer to grate the onion- and to avoid “grating” my fingers i put a fork into the onion at the root end - deep enough to secure it and move the fork back and forth to grate the onion.