Salmon Cakes

Well, I'm not sure where December went to and January is quickly disappearing as well.  I have started various posts about all the goodies we enjoyed over the holidays, but like many of you I am over the holidays and already back in the rhythm of regular days.

While my days have gotten back to normal, I haven't found my blogging rhythm yet, so to get me started I thought I would share our meal from January 2nd.  All of our company had left.  We were tired of vacation and tired of what felt like constant eating.  We wanted something light, simple and comforting, that would begin working our way through leftovers.  The answer - salmon cakes.

I remember eating salmon cakes as a kid and loving and hating them.  My mom made them using canned salmon, which is a fine option, but canned salmon doesn't always contain the best cuts of the fish.  The result is salmon cakes with a funny texture.  Some bites are wonderfully smooth a great blend of flaky fish and flavorful filler, other bites though, are a little crunchy as those pieces that maybe should have gone on the processing room floor somehow wound up in the can.  It is one of those things that it is best not to give too much thought to.  My taste buds loved the flavor of salmon cakes, but my brain did not like those random crunchy bites.

Now when I make salmon cakes I use the second cuts of the fish, but I make sure it is fish we have cut.  I love getting a whole salmon at COSTCO and cutting it up, or more accurately having Mike cut it up.  The upper cuts are used for grilling and lower cuts by the tail are poached, flaked and used to make this super simple dinner.  Apparently the tails are also great for playing with.  Making the tail dance is optional and not an important part of the recipe or filleting a fish.

Salmon Cakes

Printer Ready

1 lbs. Poached Salmon flaked
½ cup Finely chopped red (or green) pepper
2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
½ cup Dried Breadcrumbs
⅓ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup Mayonnaise
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°
Put all ingredients in large mixing bowl.  Gently mix together until thoroughly combined and moistened.  Form mixture into 5-6 equal sized patties.  Place patties on lightly oiled baking sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  

I love serving these on a soft roll that has been covered with a creamy red pepper or lemon dill sauce.