Fresh Salmon and Dill Patties

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A near perfect morning, combined with a bad case of spring fever, put my calendar and associated commitments on hold today. The Silver Fox and I jumped in the car and headed for the coast to better enjoy the day's glorious weather. Our excuse was to get really fresh salmon from the dock in Florence. We did that and a whole lot more. The highway on the Oregon coast is banked with slopes that are covered in gorse at this time of year. Its color is a cross between molten gold and a yellow that rivals the sun. Many consider it to be a weed, but anything that beautiful has to be part of a master plan, so I prefer to think of it as a misplaced garden shrub. The ocean was quite still, so its blue was a perfect contrast to the golden gorse and the scene was so lovely that, were they to have seen it, the Impressionists would have turned green with envy. Once we had our fish on ice, we drove further north for lunch and a little beach combing before taking backroads home. Back in the real world, I decided to use the salmon for fish patties because I wanted a really simple meal for our supper. The patties are easy to make. I freeze them before cooking because they hold their shape in they go into the pan or oven in a frozen state. I baked ours to make them more diet friendly. If you look at the picture you'll see there are some white deposits on the surface of the fish. I know it spoils the appearance of the salmon, but it is not dangerous. It is coagulated protein, and if I had more time, I could have minimized its appearance by soaking the fish in a brine for 10 minutes before beginning its preparation. The brine can be made by dissolving a tablespoon of iodized salt in a cup of warm, not hot, water, so if you are turned off by the appearance of the white goop on the surface of your fish, brine away. The dill, capers and mustard give the salmon a flavor pop without masking its natural taste. I like this recipe for its simplicity and the clean flavors it produces. I do hope you will give it a try. Here is how the salmon patties are made.


Fresh Salmon and Dill Patties...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds skinless salmon fillets
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon capers, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
Olive oil

Directions:
1) Finely mince salmon by hand or run it through a food processor until coarsely ground.
2) Combine salmon in a medium mixing bowl with dill, lemon juice and zest, mayonnaise, mustard, capers, garlic, and salt. Divide mixture into 4 balls and shape them into thick patties. Arrange patties on a plate and freeze for up to 2 hours.
3) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray. Place frozen patties in baking pan and cook, turning just once, for 9 minutes per side. Serve immediately on a bed of baby arugula or spinach or in a toasted bun. Yield: 4 servings.

                    

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