Aish Cooks

Salmon Cakes / Mildly Spiced Flaked Salmon Patties

It was D’s birthday last weekend and I really wanted to make something special for him on the day, but just could not bring myself to decide what it was that I wanted to cook for him. There are tons of his favorites that we’ve enjoyed together, but this time I was on the lookout for something new. And then finally, it popped out of the Food network channel from Giada’s show. She was making salmon cakes for a picnic lunch and I knew I had to make that dish for D – he would love it. No doubt. The only problem was that the seasoning in the recipe felt inadequate for our taste buds which have gotten so used to the spicy-Indian-palette that it is not as easy to enjoy the subtleties western cuisines have to offer. So this recipe brings together the best from a couple of popular pro-chef salmon cake recipes.. and it was just perfect. D l-o-v-e-d it; and little guy A actually asked for it after a tiny nibble – my budding little connoisseur’s gonna be all of 18 months in a couple of weeks!

Customize this versatile recipe to make it right for your family. This dish is sure wow everybody – whether you are steeped in spices or play it safe with the hot stuff 🙂

Source: Adapted from Ina Garten’s and Giada’s Salmon Cakes

Makes: Approx. 22 cakes / patties

Cooking Time: 30 minutes prep + 15 minutes cooking

Ingredients:

1. Salmon – 2 lbs, fillets
2. Onion – 1 medium (1/2 cup) finely chopped (optional)
3. Bell peppers – 1, finely chopped (Red/Yellow/Green)
4. Celery – 2 stalks, finely chopped
5. Capers – 3 or 4 tbsp (substitute: jalapeno, olives or crisp and tangy veggie of choice)
6. Eggs – 2, beaten
7. Dijon Mustard – 4 tbsp
8. Mayonnaise – 6 tbsp
9. Hot sauce – 2 tbsp or to taste
10. Pepper – 1/2 tsp, crushed or powdered
11. Chives – 3/4 oz (small bunch), chopped fine (substitute: parsley/ cilantro/ dill/ herb of choice)
12. Lime juice – from 1/2 lime
13. Saltines / Crackers – 25 – 30, crushed into a coarse powder (substitute: bread crumbs)
14. Olive oil – 3 tbsp for baking salmon, 2 tbsp for veggie base and 4-5 as needed for frying patties
15. Salt to taste

Method:

Bake and Flake:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Season the salmon fillets with some olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Bake the salmon for 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, it can be steamed or cooked in a pot with seasoned water too.
4. Flake the fish with a fork, and discard the skin if the fillets have not been de-skinned. Allow this to cool down a little bit so as to avoid making the flakes pasty.

Cook the veggie base:

1. Heat a couple of tbsp of oil and saute the onions with some salt until done and golden brown.
2. Add the cut peppers and celery and saute for a few more minutes until done.
3. Add the capers and hot sauce and cook for a couple more minutes and turn off the heat.
4. Note: You can use corn, jalapenos or other veggies or choice to this mix. Finely chop and add them.

Combine and season:

1. To the flaked salmon, add beaten eggs, mustard, mayonnaise, chives, cooked veggies, lime juice and combine until everything is mixed well.
2. Check the taste and add more salt if needed.
3. Note: If the breading is with saltines or crackers, do not add much salt as there is more salt coming from the crackers itself.

Prepare the patties:

1. Take out equal-sized portions of the fish mix and roll it to bring together like a ball. Flatten on your palm to make patties.
2. Dust the patties/ cakes on both sides with the powdered crushed crackers or saltines.
3. Note: It is easier to make the patties when the seasoned mixture has cooled down a little in the refrigerator.

Shallow fry patties:

1. Heat a tava / girdle and add a few tbsp of olive oil / butter and place the salmon cakes without crowding the pan too much.
2. Drizzle more oil if needed to help cook and brown the salmon cakes.
3. Flip over after a couple of minutes to cook the other side and then remove onto a kitchen towel.
4. Note: Cook on med-heat throughout and handle very gently to prevent breaking the cakes.