It's a Salmon Smorgasbord

I adore the word smorgasbord and so rarely do I find an opportunity to use it in a sentence. In april and may I find myself describing the onslaught of salmon in my diet the perfect opportunity to use it. These months mark the beginning of wild king salmon season, one of my favorite times a year. When I say I love salmon, I mean I Love salmon. Love it like I love foot massages and half price designer jeans. However, I don’t eat farmed salmon, for reasons that hopefully don’t sound too preachy when I (gently) explain why you shouldn’t eat it either. While I stand by my moral salmon issues, I find the months between the seasons very sad.

So when the first beautiful pink fillets start appearing at my trusty fish monger’s stand, the weekly meals become pretty salmon heavy. I am of the belief that salmon needs very little to make it delicious; a smoking hot pan, a splash of olive oil, a sprinkling of kosher salt and a nice hot sear on both sides. I can usually get away with this for a month or so before my household starts kindly requesting a new form of salmon delivery. And by kindly request, I mean begs for another form of protein besides the scaly, gilly kind that swim upstream to spawn.



Enter the salmon cake. Much like a crab cake in method, it’s a great way to use salmon in creating new flavors and textures. The integrity of the fish still comes through, but the potent salmon flavor is tempered by the other ingredients, few as they may be. It’s also a great way to use leftover fish of any kind, snapper, cod and halibut are all great substitutions. I will stick with salmon for now, as I simply can’t stand to part with my beloved fish. Thank goodness for the invention of the caked form of fish. It allows me to keep using my star ingredient without causing those I love to sprout gills.

Salmon Cakes

1 pound fresh wild salmon, skin on
1 Tbs heavy cream (optional)
1 cup of panko (Japanese style breadcrumbs)
1/3 cup good mayonnaise
½ cup thinly slice scallions
½ cup chopped celery
1 large egg
Kosher salt
Canola oil for cooking

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with foil. Place whole salmon fillet on foil and rub with heavy cream, if using. Sprinkle with kosher salt and bake approximately 10 minutes, until salmon is almost cooked through (it will continue to cook as it sits). Set aside to cool slightly.

Mix ¾ cup of panko, mayonnaise, scallions, celery the egg and ½ tsp kosher salt in a large bowl. Once fish is cool, flake it into the bowl, discarding the skin. Mix gently, trying not to break up the salmon too much. Form the mixture into 8 patties, about 1 inch thick. Spread the remaining panko on a large plate and press the cakes into the bread crumbs until all sides are coated.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tbs of the oil over medium high heat. Fry the salmon cakes in two batches until golden brown on both sides, about 8 to 10 minutes total. Remove to a paper towel, heat 2 more tbs of the oil and repeat with the remaining cakes, adding a bit more oil if needed. Drain on paper towels and serve hot. Serves 4.