Salmon Cakes

Lately, I've been trying to add a little more salmon into our diet.  We usually eat fish once a week and I've just been focusing on salmon for those meals. I've also been buying the more expensive, wild-caught salmon at our local grocery story and it makes such a difference in taste (and nutrition)! I highly recommend it. 

I'm happy to have found some excellent salmon recipes to add to our repertoire! These salmon cakes were wonderful - while I made them back in February, they seem to be especially fitting for spring.  They're pretty easy to make and come together quickly.  Altogether, they probably can be made in about 30 minutes from start to finish.  I also love that I can mix it up ahead of time while my toddler naps in the afternoon and then refrigerate it until I'm ready to cook them at dinner.  It makes dinnertime go even smoother! I served this with roasted potatoes and sauteed shredded Brussels sprouts, although something like asparagus would be very fitting for a spring menu.

Salmon Cakes
Taken from: Cook's Illustrated
Serves 4 as a main course

• 3 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons mayo or plain Greek yogurt
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 scallion, sliced thin (I omitted)
• 1 small shallot, minced (I used about 1/4 cup minced onion instead)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 to 1 1/4 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup canola oil (I haven't tried it yet but I think you could also use coconut oil here instead)

1. Combine 3 tablespoons panko, parsley, mayonnaise/yogurt, lemon juice, scallion, shallot, mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne in bowl. Working in 3 batches, pulse salmon in food processor until coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch pieces, about 2 pulses, transferring each batch to bowl with panko mixture (if you do not have a food processor, you could also try very finely chopping the salmon with a knife). Gently mix until uniformly combined.
2. Place remaining 3/4 cup panko in pie plate. Using 1/3-cup measure, scoop level amount of salmon mixture and transfer to baking sheet; repeat to make 8 cakes. Carefully coat each cake in bread crumbs, gently patting into disk measuring 2 3/4 inches in diameter and 1 inch high. Return coated cakes to baking sheet.
3. Heat 1/4 cup oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place salmon cakes in skillet and cook without moving until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip cakes (add up to 1/4 cup of more oil if necessary) and cook until second side is golden brown, 2-4 minutes. Transfer cakes to paper towel–lined plate to drain 1 minute. Serve.