Delicious Salmon Cakes

If you want a scrumptious meal for this Valentine weekend that's delicious and healthy, I heartily ♥ suggest these salmon cakes. You can make them as an entree with a salad or make them into smaller patties to serve as an appetizer. 

I made them recently when the weather was cold and awful and I needed to prepare dinner with what was on hand.  I had a beautiful piece of wild sockeye salmon in the freezer and everything else in the pantry and refrigerator to prepare these delicious salmon cakes. 

I had never made salmon cakes before!  We love crab cakes and found a recipe for salmon cakes from Ina Garten that had many of the same delicious ingredients as my favorite crab cake recipe so I was hopeful they would be wonderful and they were!

I served them with a homemade tartar sauce recipe from Cathy at Wives with Knives.  It is the only tartar sauce I use because it is so good. 

The wonderful thing about this recipe is you can prepare everything in the morning and do the sauteing just before dinner.  I served them with a salad. 

If you're looking for a special dessert to serve your sweetheart, look no further than my sidebar.

PS:  I'll be taking a short break ~ see you all in a week or two! Happy Valentine's Day!

Delicious Salmon Cakes

Adapted from Ina Garten and Food Network

Printable Recipe

1/2 pound fresh salmon

4-5 Bay Leaves (my addition)

Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
1 1/2 cups small-diced celery (4 stalks)
1/2 cup small-diced red bell pepper (1 small pepper)
1/2 cup small-diced yellow bell pepper (1 small pepper)
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
3 slices stale bread, crusts removed or Panko crumbs (I used 1/2 bread crumbs and1/2 Panko crumbs)
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

Place the salmon on an oiled sheet pan, skin side down. Tuck several Bay Leaves under the salmon. 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.

Meanwhile, place 2 tablespoons of the butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the 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.

Break the bread slices in pieces and process the bread in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. You should have about 1 cup of bread crumbs. Place the bread crumbs on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 5 minutes until lightly browned, tossing occasionally.

Flake the chilled salmon into a large bowl. Add the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs. Add the vegetable mixture and mix well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Shape into 10 (2 1/2 to 3-ounce) cakes.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. In batches, add the salmon cakes and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until browned. Drain on paper towels; keep them warm in a preheated 250 degree F oven and serve hot.

Serve with Cathy's Tartar Sauce

Adapted from Wives with Knives

I usually make 1/2 recipe...

2 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons minced onion
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon green olives with pimento, finely chopped
1 tablespoon capers, finely chopped
1 tablespoon green pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly cracked black pepper

Splash of Sriracha sauce or Tabasco (My addition)

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for several hours before serving. I highly recommend Cathy's Tartar Sauce!