Salmon Cakes
In the hot, sticky, heat of a New York City summer I find that sometimes it’s nice to keep the oven off, and limit the time over the stove! It can also be nice to have a light dinner on these nights. These salmon cakes are packed with flavor, filling, and easy to make while keeping the kitchen cool. Served with a side salad and you have yourself a nice refreshing summertime meal.
Ingredients: (yields 4 small salmon cakes)
- one 5 oz package of boneless and skinless salmon, drained
- 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons of red onion, chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon of red pepper, chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon of green pepper, chopped fine
- 1 piece of whole wheat bread, torn into tiny pieces
- 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped fine
- 1/8 of a teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup plain whole wheat bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup plain panko bread crumbs
On a large plate I mixed together 1/2 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs and 1/4 of a cup of panko bread crumbs. I set it aside for later.
In a large bowl I gently mixed together one 5 oz package of drained salmon, 1 slice of torn bread, 2 tablespoons of red onion chopped fine, 1 tablespoon of red pepper chopped fine, 1 tablespoon of green pepper chopped fine, 1 tablespoon of parsley chopped fine, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese, and 1 egg.
The salmon I buy does say it is drained, however I like to drain the salmon again to remove any excess
liquid. Note, you could use whatever your salmon preferences may be and allotted time allows here.
Once the salmon mixture was combined I evenly divided it into four parts. I gently shaped each part into a round and then slightly flattened the round into a patty.
I then placed each patty one at a time on the breadcrumbs. I gently pressed the bread crumbs into the top, bottom, and both sides. I then reshaped the patty.
Then in a large frying pan I began heating 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium low heat . I carefully placed each salmon cake into the pan.
I cooked the salmon cakes for 4 minutes on each side making sure I turned each patty gently and they were a nice golden brown color.
These salmon cakes are a favorite of ours. I enjoy that they are quick to make especially if you should ever find yourself in a bit of a time crunch for dinner. The peppers, onions, and parsley all play off of the salmon. The parmesan gives some rich saltiness to the cakes. The crisp crunchy bread crumb coating ties it together and wraps up all of the flavors.
For the garnish, I drizzled some tartar sauce lightly over the top and paired it with an oil vinaigrette side salad with heirloom tomatoes. Voilà… Dinner is served!