These Zesty Salmon Cakes are tender and flaky on the inside, golden and crispy on the outside. They are made with delicious fresh salmon, veggies, herbs and spices. Top them with your favorite aioli, or tartar sauce.
Selecting the Perfect Salmon
We love our salmon in our household. Salmon is widely available whether you’re tracking it down at the supermarket or the fishmonger. It’s easy to like—tender, mild-tasting, and versatile. Always easy to cook—the fatty texture helps keep the fish tender and moist. You want to look for vibrant fish. If you have a chance to smell the fish, remember it should never smell fishy. Look for salmon that appears moist rather than dried out, since the moisture content is an excellent indicator of freshness and how carefully the fish was handled. Avoid salmon with any browned spots on the belly, around the edges of the fillet, or instances where the skin has started browning and curling up. The same goes for bruised skin or a phenomenon known as “gaping,” in which flakes at the cut edges of the fish begin to separate from each other.
Then, you’ll want to look for the color of the salmon-“vibrantly colored” flesh, from deep shades of red to vibrant coral to bright pink. Pale fish is the enemy—bright hues mean fresh fish. Don’t assume that fresh is always better than frozen fish. Sometimes frozen is better than fresh. Plenty of frozen is put on ice on boats right after being caught to preserve its freshness. The advancements in vacuum-packing technology have boosted the quality of frozen fish. In short, don’t be afraid of the frozen stuff if you trust the source. If you enjoy salmon all year, you will be eating previously frozen salmon, and this is especially true if you want to eat wild salmon outside of its May-October season.
I like salmon from the Pacific coast as opposed to the Atlantic. I think the Atlantic gets too warm.The cakes are so fresh and are a perfect menu item for all your upcoming summer weekends. They are easy to make ahead when asking guests over for an outdoor meal. You will have more time to enjoy your company. It is so simple to have all your ingredients ready. Everything goes into a bowl and mixed together. You form the patties into the side desired. They can be a smaller size to serve as an appetizer, medium size for the cakes, and finally, a larger size if you would like to serve as a burger on a bun! It’s lovely to serve the salmon cakes on a bed of salad greens and topped with the Cucumber Salsa, as a cooling compliment to the salmon.
Wine Recommendation
I think a bottle of white Burgundy or a soft Sauvignon Blanc is perfect for serving with the cakes
Zesty Salmon Cakes with Cucumber and Corn Salsa
Ingredients
Salmon Mixture:
- 1 lb. Fresh Salmon – cut into 1/4 inch dice
- 8 oz. Fresh Salmon – finely chopped
- 2 Eggs – large
- 1/4 cup Celery – finely diced
- 1/4 cup Sweet Yellow Onion – finely diced
- 4 Scallions – chopped white and green parts
- 1 tbsp. Lemon – zest
- 2 tsp. Hot Sauce – such as Green Tabasco Sauce
- 1 tsp. Garlic – chopped
- 1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tsp. Fresh Dill – chopped
- 2 tsp. Capers – rinsed and drained
- Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper – to taste
Crust
- 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs – can be gluten-free if desired
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for the salmon mixture. Do not overmix.
- Form the mixture into twelve 2 1/2-inch cakes by 1 1/2-inch thick. Coat both sides with the Panko bread crumbs, shaking off any excess crumbs. Don’t coat too heavy; the cakes should be light.
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, non-stick skillet. Cook 6 at a time, about 3 minutes per side, turning once, until golden brown. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain. Cook the remaining cakes until done.
- Serve immediately with the Cucumber Corn Salsa.
