Salmon Cakes

Broiling a nice piece of salmon is just about the fastest dinner possible, and one I rely on pretty often on busy weeknights. Sometimes I’ll dress it up with a mustard glaze or yogurt dill sauce, but nine times out of ten it’s just olive oil, salt and pepper. Which can get a little, well, boring after awhile.

So instead of my usual approach, last night I made salmon cakes. I prepared them the exact same way I make Maryland-style crab cakes (oh, how this girl loves a Chesapeake Bay crab cake), with Old Bay and lemon and cracker crumbs. I nudged the flavor up a bit (crab’s delicate flavor is easily overwhelmed, salmon’s less so), and added a bit of dried dill, which has a natural affinity for salmon. Delish. The cakes were moist and well seasoned, very quick to make and pantry-friendly, a new (and un-boring!) addition to my weeknight rotation.

Salmon Cakes
makes three large cakes

• 8 oz uncooked salmon fillet, skin removed
• one egg, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• scant 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons dried dill
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• one tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup panko-style breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs

Preheat the broiler. (If your broiler is in the main part of the oven, move a rack to the rung closest to the heating element.) Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly mist or brush with olive oil.

In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients except for the breadcrumbs and salmon. Add the panko, stirring to combine. Coarsely chop the raw salmon and add to the mixture. Gently fold to combine. Pat into burger-shaped patties and place on your prepped baking sheet.

Broil, flipping halfway through, for 10-12 minutes until browned and cooked through, about 150 degrees when tested with a meat thermometer. Serve with tartar sauce or yogurt dill sauce.

Note: Look for wild-caught Alaskan or Pacific salmon at your market, even if it’s frozen. Farmed Atlantic salmon is an inferior product and not a sustainable choice, per the Monterery Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch.

Advertisement