Light & Flaky Salmon Cakes
In our home, we eat a ton of fish. Honestly, the whole “healthy" Mediterranean diet” is a real thing. We eat so much fish that on some days, we want something a little different than the usual fillet. That’s when I crank out a platter of these gorgeous Salmon Cakes and serve it with a large salad and a grain like farro.
One thing i really love about Salmon cakes, and this recipe in particular is that it can be made with fresh fish or even leftover salmon. In my super humble perspective, sometimes it’s really hard to eat leftover fish. It’s easy for fish to develop a stinky, overly fishy flavor when it sits in the fridge and is re-heated. That’s why my salmon cakes are the perfect use for leftover salmon. The grainy mustard, ricotta cheese, and green onions work together to mask any overly fishy flavor and leave you with something decadent, rich and creamy, without actually using heavy ingredients.
I want to tell you a funny story. Well, not exactly funny, but kind of funny if you’re not me. When i was developing this recipe i was confident that i was going to make this version without eggs. I kept on thinking that eggs add an unnecessary fat and may cause the fishiness to multiply. So there i was, making my salmon cakes. No eggs in sight. I put those suckers into a searing hot pan and went to flip them after a minute or 2 and BAM. Crumbles. Everywhere. My cakes fell apart. I had a mess in my pan and i was super sad. I was devastated but deep down i knew i deserved that. You need the egg as a binder. Duh. So i made it again, and again, this time with the egg. AHA! There it was, delicious Salmon Cakes that only flaked when you prodded at them with a utensil! The moral of this story is that you need the egg. Dont omit it!
Just a few tips when making these:
1) Dont try to make these patties thin like burgers. It makes it hard to flip and the Salmon gets dry. Small, super round and bulgy patties is what you’re looking for.
2) You can’t really over-season these. If you prefer some additional spices like some celery seed (which would be AWESOME in these) go for it!
3) Use a HOT skillet with enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. I use olive oil but you can use any oil you like!
4) If you aren’t using leftover salmon that’s been sitting in the fridge, cook your salmon, but allow it to cool COMPLETELY before you flake it and mix it with the rest of the ingredients. Let me paint you a picture of piping hot salmon and raw eggs…. yeah… not so good unless you want scrambled eggs in your patties.
5) You can replace the ricotta cheese with greek yogurt if you’d like!
Give this recipe a try! Share your comments and some love. If you make this recipe and share it on social media, tag it with the hashtag #hungrilyhomemaderecipe
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 Salmon Cakes
Ingredients:
1. 4 fillets of salmon
2. 1 stalk of celery, finely diced
3. 2 green onions, finely diced
4. 4 tbsp ricotta cheese
5. 2 tbsp bread crumbs
6. 1 tbsp jalapeno pepper, finely diced
7. 1 full egg and 1 egg white
8. 1 tsp red chili flakes
9. 1/2 tbsp salt
10. 2 tbsp olive oil
Method:
1. If you’re using already cooked salmon (leftovers) skip to step 2. If you are cooking salmon for this recipe, heat a pan with olive oil and place your salmon on the hot pan. Season the salmon with salt and black pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. Remove from the heat and allow to completely cool before flaking.
2. Flake your salmon fillets in a small sized mixing bowl.
3. To your flaked salmon, add all of the ingredients listed about except for the olive oil which will be reserved for cooking the patties.
4. Using your hands (i wear food-grade gloves for this), gently work the mixture together until it forms a play-dough like consistency that you can shape into patties and that do not easily fall apart when you apply pressure with your finger.
5. Form patties that are small (the size of the inside of your palm) and fat.
6. Heat a large skillet with your oil and place your patties on the hot pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. The goal is not to cook the inside of the patty, just to brown the outside enough for a crust to form.
7. Once your patties have a crust on each side, remove from the heat and place on a plate that’s lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
8. Serve with a dollop of greek yogurt and a squirt of lemon on each patty. Enjoy with a salad or grain bowl!
