Ingredients
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1½ slices hearty white sandwich Bread
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1 pound skinless Salmon
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1 Shallot
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3 tablespoons Mayonnaise
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2 tablespoons minced fresh Parsley
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2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
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⅛ teaspoon Salt
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⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
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1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
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Lemon
Directions
We wanted moist, flavorful salmon cakes that tasted foremost like salmon for a quick and delicious dinner. Many salmon cake recipes use canned salmon, but since the salmon is the star of this dish, we found that it was well worth the additional modest expense and effort required to make our cakes with fresh salmon. Cakes made with canned salmon were lackluster (to say the least) and mushy, while those made with fresh salmon were moist and full of flavor, with an appealing, chunky texture. A food processor made quick work of chopping the salmon into pieces. To keep the cakes together in the skillet, we used a light binder of mayonnaise and bread crumbs. Store-bought bread crumbs muddled the flavor of the salmon, so we made our own fresh crumbs from white sandwich bread. Minced shallot added aromatic depth, and some Dijon mustard provided moistness and a bit of heat; we finished the mixture with a little parsley for fresh herb flavor and finally had a bright and meaty salmon cake that truly tasted like salmon. Be sure to process the fish in three separate batches and for no more than four pulses, or it will turn to paste and be impossible to shape. If you don’t have a food processor, salmon is easy to chop by hand; to make it even easier, put the salmon in the freezer for 10 minutes before chopping. If you find that the bread crumbs are browning too quickly in step 3, reduce the heat.
Steps
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1
Done
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Pulse bread in food processor to coarse crumbs, about 4 pulses; transfer to large bowl. Working in 3 batches, pulse salmon in now-empty processor until coarsely chopped into ¼-inch pieces, about 2 pulses, transferring each batch to bowl with bread crumbs. Gently mix until thoroughly combined. |
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2
Done
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Whisk shallot, mayonnaise, parsley, mustard, salt, and pepper together in separate bowl, then gently fold into salmon mixture until just combined. Divide salmon mixture into 4 equal portions and pack into 3-inch-wide cakes. Cover and refrigerate cakes for at least 1 hour. |
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3
Done
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Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Gently lay cakes in skillet and cook until crisp and well browned on first side, 4 to 5 minutes. Gently flip cakes and continue to cook until golden brown on second side and cakes register 125 to 130 degrees, about 4 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges. |
