Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Salmon Cakes


From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had about a 1/2 pound of salmon left after my holiday cooking spree. It wasn't enough to make any of the dishes we usually enjoy, but I was determined to use it up and I wanted to find a recipe that turned a very small quantity of salmon into something unusual and delicious. I did some searching and finally settled on a recipe for the most pedestrian use of salmon, the ubiquitous salmon cake. While I had to sacrifice the unusual portion of my quest, I ended up with something really delicious. As it turned out, these cakes aren't anything like the dreadful canned creations remembered from so long ago. So, I'm going to ask you to put the can opener away, replace it with a chef's knife and prepare your taste buds for a real, if simple, treat. The recipe I found was developed by Ina Garten and it is chock full of ingredients that pack these cakes with flavor. I basically followed the recipe as it was written. The few changes I made were the result of necessity rather than intent. While I used some already poached salmon and did away with the yellow pepper called for in the recipe, I still ended up with delicious cakes. I heartily recommend this recipe to you. It is an easy, if time consuming, way to turn a small quantity of fish into something really memorable. Avoid the temptation to add more bread crumbs than the recipe calls for. If the mixture seems too soft to form, stick it in the freezer until it holds its shape and when you cook the the cakes make sure the bottom has crusted before you flip them over.These demand to be served warm. They are so flavorful you won't need a sauce to accompany them. I served ours with roasted potatoes and the first sweet corn of the year. It was a really nice meal. Here's the recipe I used for the salmon cakes.

Salmon Cakes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Ina Garten

Ingredients:
1/2 pound fresh salmon
4 tablespoons olive oil + olive oil to brush salmon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup small-diced red onion
1-1/2 cups small-diced celery
1/2 cup small-diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup small-diced yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (i.e.Tabasco)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons crab boil (i.e. Old Bay) seasoning or see Cook's Notes below
3 to 4 slices stale bread, crusts removed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Place salmon on a sheet pan, skin side down. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until just cooked. Remove from the oven and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes and refrigerate until cold.
3) Meanwhile, place 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil, onion, celery, red and yellow bell peppers, parsley, capers, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, crab boil seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large saute pan over medium-low heat and cook until the vegetables are soft, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
4) Break bread slices in pieces and process in a food processor. Spread crumbs in a single layer on bottom of a cookie sheet. Toast in oven for 5 minutes until lightly brown, tossing occasionally.
5) Flake chilled salmon into a large bowl. Add 1 cup bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs. Add vegetable mixture and mix well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Shape into 10 cakes of equal size.
6) Heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add 5 salmon cakes to pan and fry for 4 minutes per side, until browned. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Keep warm in a 250 degree F oven while remainder of salmon cakes are fried. Serve warm. Yield: 10 salmon cakes.

Cook's Notes - Crab boil is a spice mixture used to flavor the water in which crabs or other shellfish are boiled. If you are unable to purchase it, this homemade mixture can be substituted.

Old Bay-like Seasoning

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon ground dried bay leaves
2 teaspoons celery salt
1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Store in an airtight container and store in a cool place. Use with seafood or chicken. Makes about 1/4 cup.








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You might also enjoy these recipes:
Salmon Burgers - Steamy Kitchen
Salmon Cakes with Lemon Yogurt Sauce - Guvi's
Pan-Fried Salmon Cakes, Sauce Remoulade - Edible Aria
Salmon Cakes with Lemon Herb Mayonnaise - Inspired 2 Cook
Dill and Caper Salmon Cakes - Coconut and Lime

63 comments :

Elisabeth said...

I love salmon cakes, and salmon burgers, What a great way to use up leftover pieces of salmon!
Great recipe...a keeper!
Hope you had a wonderful 4th of July!

Ana Rita Marreiros said...

Those are probably very tastefull...I love salmon, but never thought put it in cakes...

Kisses
Rita

Julia said...

Well, they look just perfect Mary, and as you said, chock full for ingredients. Love the addition of a bit of heat.

Diane said...

These sound delicious but what is crab boil seasoning? Diane

Diane said...

OK I have just discovered a recipe for crab oil seasoning!
http://homecooking.about.com/od/spicerecipes/r/blspice31.htm Diane

Kim said...

WOW these little salmon cakes are loaded with flavors. They look delicious. Because I enjoy fish cakes a lot (alway made with the real stuff, never the caned one), I will give this recipe a try next week. Thanks a lot and have a good day Mary!

Donna Elick said...

These look lovely! How resourceful of you!

Anonymous said...

I love salmon cakes. I agree that this is a great way to use up leftover salmon.
Karen

Haden News said...

Mary I have made Ina's salmon cakes...they are amazing!!! Thanks for reminding me of a great recipe :-)

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

I have put my can opener away and sharpened my knife. I even think I have Old Bay spice. Thanks for another great recipe.

Fondly,
Glenda

Jihane @ Sinful Sundays said...

Perfect way to use up salmon. They look delicious and flavorful!

Karen said...

Great summer recipe, Mary! Salmon is one of my favorite fish, so I'll have to give this a try. I'm also eyeing your refreshing watermelon gazpacho. :-)

D said...

Mary, we have leftover salmon from last nights dinner, so this is right on time. Thank you. PS: Hope you are staying cool.

Chiara said...

A great recipe , perfect for summer Mary!They look delicious , thanks a lot..have a good day...

Su m said...

I knew the salmon cakes from Ina, and these ones of yours look just perfect and delicious :)

Anonymous said...

Love Ina's recipes! These salmon cakes looked so good, that I printed out a copy of the recipe to share with some of my co-workers!

Emily Malloy said...

Your recipe is so similar to my mom's! Ah, it reminds me of home :)

Rita said...

Great combination. I now make my salmon cakes like you with fresh salmon instead of canned; can't compare. Not always easy to find Old BAy around here; thanks.
Rita

Maris (In Good Taste) said...

I love salmon cakes and this looks like the very best recipe I have seen!

Sue/the view from great island said...

Mary, these look great. I love salmon cakes and I agree that it's a wonderful way to make another entire meal out of a little leftover fish. I like that you included other salmon cake recipes from the web...I recently made them, so here's another one...
Here

tinyskillet said...

We love salmon and salmon cakes. Nothing like the fresh salmon if you can, the only time we use canned is to use up our hurricane supply box after heurricane season. Ina makes some tasty crab cakes too! Old Bay is so good to have on hand, love it! thanks for that recipe too!

Ryan said...

What a great summer meal and a wonderful way to use up leftover salmon!! These look beautiful and the perfect comfort meal!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I have tried Ina's recipe and it really is delicious Mary!

Eileen said...

These sound and look delicious! In fact, your whole meal sounds tempting.

Lynn said...

The salmon cakes sound great Mary, I know I'd love them:@)

Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine said...

One of our favorites this looks awesome!

Diane said...

Thanks Mary I have made a note of both the recipe and the Crab boil seasoning for when Nigel is here. Diane

The Harried Cook said...

I would gladly 'settle' for these salmon cakes! How yummy they look and sound! Thanks for sharing this recipe, Mary! A winner, for sure!

Susan..... said...

I am right there with you, Mary. I made my first cake with real Salmon leftovers a couple weeks ago because I only had enough for a salmon burger, and believe it or not, my kitties will not touch people food.
I will never use canned again. Mine were plain but these sound really tasty and not dry at all.

From the Kitchen said...

I have a whole salmon in the freezer--a gift from an Alaskan fisherfriend. I want to poach a part of it but will lop off a piece and try your recipe. It sounds delicious.

Best,
Bonnie

Kim said...

this salmon cake looks perfect!! my dad would love this!! :D

Priya Suresh said...

Feel like having some salmon cakes..yumm!

Ruth said...

I love the look of these, Mary. Salmon is not my favourite fish, but with all the other ingredients giving it a bit of bite, I'm sure I will like these!

Joanne said...

I like salmon infinitely more than crab, anyway. These sound delicious!

Big Dude said...

Great cakes Mary. The ones I grew up on were similar - canned salmon, including the bones and skin, egg binder, and oats or some other filler, topped with ketchup :-).

Becki's Whole Life said...

I love this recipe, Mary! I have never made cakes with with canned salmon because I didn't think I would like it, but these sound delish! My kids will eat these too, which is a huge plus. We always have leftover salmon (which I don't like as much on the second day.) Gonna make this!

Anonymous said...

so yummy! these salmon cakes are wonderful!

Lori said...

I love salmon cakes- I will give your recipe a try.

I made that recipe for Muenster Bread- Deee-licious.

Ginny Hartzler said...

These look just delicious!! I just saw a recipe on Dr. Oz for salmon cakes made with orzo. By Paula Dean's sons.

JG said...

Salmon Cakes made with fresh Salmon - Yummy! The Old Bay-like Seasoning recipe is so handy to have. Thanks, Mary!
~Judy

Katie said...

Not only does the fresh salmon in the crab cakes sound incredible. But I'm excited to have a spice mix that will even approximate Old Bay. These look delicious, Mary!

Clint said...

I know I may well be banned from your site for saying this horribly incorrect thing, but I like to eat the patties in a sandwich with some mayo and tartar sauce.

There. I said it.

Rambling Tart said...

Absolutely delectable, Mary! I can almost smell them and taste that salty crust that forms when you fry them. :-) Yum!!

Tanna said...

I love salmon cakes, even the stinky old canned kind! LOL! So, I am VERY sure that I will love this recipe. Thank you so much. Blessings ~ tanna

Jocie's Mom said...

Great dish! Sometimes 'need to use' ingredients can spark some fabulous meals :)

Heather S-G said...

I've had a craving for salmon lately, and since I'm the only one in the house who eats it, I always have some "left-over". I will remember these Salmon Cakes, they sound and look delicious :D

That Girl said...

A half pound still sounds like a lot of salmon to me!

Simple cake recipes said...

this salmon cakes are so healthy and tasty .. perfect for a dinner I'd say

justjoycee said...

They look great and really delicious!!! Have a good evening!!!

Anonymous said...

These are gorgeous, and sound absolutely amazing, Mary! Hope you had a lovely 4th. :)

Gloria Baker said...

Mary these salmon cakes look amazing! love them! blkessings to you! gloria

shaz said...

that looks really nice. My boys love salmon and this is another way I can spruce it up for them. Thanks for sharing and for dropping by my little blog and leaving your kind comments :) have a great week ahead!

Margaret Murphy Tripp said...

I've never had salmon cakes, but these look GREAT, and I happen to have some Old Bay seasoning around. Another MUST TRY. You are keeping me busy!

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

I often buy a piece of salmon that is just too large for the two of us. I can't wait to try these!

Kat said...

Perfect Mary. Thanks for posting. You have a wonderful weekend.

Jeanette said...

What a nice way to use up extra salmon - these look nice and moist. Love the vegetables, capers and seasoning in this recipe!

Aldy said...

Mouth-watering salmon cakes, Mary. And great combination of flavors too :)

Have a lovely day,

Aldy.

dr.antony said...

Salmon is imported and a scarcity here, but my favorite.

Rosita Vargas said...

Mary amo el salmĂ³n en sĂ­ y en cakes mucho mĂ¡s se ve muy lindo,como siempre tus fotos relucen,abrazos grandes y muchas bendiciones.

Jackie said...

Hi

Did you find this recipe for the salmon cakes in one of her cookbooks, if so, which one.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Jackie, I found the recipe in two spots. It was on the food newtwork and Ina's own site. I don't know if it appeared in any of her books. I'm assuming not because neither spot credits a book. It probably was developed for her TV show. Hope this helps. Blessings...Mary

Margaret Murphy Tripp said...

Hi Mary,
Last night I had a dinner party and served salmon. There were two extra steaks, so I immediately thought to try your recipe for salmon cakes. They were really fabulous. None of us had ever tried salmon cakes before, although crab cakes are one of my favorite things. I may do a post about them with a link to your blog...or a post with crab cakes and I would still link to your blog for inspiring me. Thanks for an outstanding recipe! Have a blessed week. xo

Margaret Murphy Tripp said...

Made them again, as requested by The Mister for Valentine's Day. Had other couples over and one called this morning to say they were the best he's ever had! Thanks again for one of my family's favorite new recipes. The only thing I did differently was dip the patties in panko bread crumbs before I fried them.

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