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Crisp-crusted salmon cakes with tender, flaky interiors and a bright caper remoulade that cuts through the richness. Pacific Northwest thrift meets French technique in a dish worthy of any table.
The salmon cake is an act of respect. Generations of Pacific Northwest cooks, from Chinook fishermen to Scandinavian settlers to the cannery workers of Astoria, understood that you honor a fish by using every bit of it. These cakes exist because someone looked at leftover salmon and saw possibility rather than waste.
I've eaten salmon cakes in diners along the Columbia River where the coffee was bitter and the linoleum cracked, and I've eaten them in dining rooms with white tablecloths and obsequious waiters. The best versions share a common virtue: restraint. Too many recipes bury the salmon under breadcrumbs and mayonnaise until you can't taste the fish at all. That's not cooking. That's camouflage.
The secret here is potato. A small amount of cold riced potato binds the mixture without making it dense or gluey. The salmon stays flaky, the exterior fries to a proper golden crust, and when you break one open with your fork, you see actual fish rather than some homogeneous paste. The remoulade, tangy with capers and bright with lemon, does what a good sauce should: it complements without competing.
Fresh salmon works beautifully, but don't dismiss canned. Wild sockeye in the can often surpasses mediocre fresh fish from a supermarket case. The canneries along Puget Sound have been putting up salmon for over a century. There's no shame in that pantry. There's wisdom.
Quantity
1 pound
Quantity
1 medium (about 6 ounces)
boiled and riced
Quantity
1
lightly beaten
Quantity
3 tablespoons
finely minced
Quantity
2 tablespoons
finely minced
Quantity
2 tablespoons
chopped
Quantity
1 tablespoon
chopped
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
Quantity
1 cup, divided
Quantity
3 tablespoons
Quantity
3/4 cup
Quantity
2 tablespoons
drained and roughly chopped
Quantity
2 tablespoons
finely minced
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1 tablespoon
chopped
Quantity
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| cooked salmon, flaked | 1 pound |
| Yukon Gold potatoboiled and riced | 1 medium (about 6 ounces) |
| large egglightly beaten | 1 |
| shallotfinely minced | 3 tablespoons |
| celeryfinely minced | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh dillchopped | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh flat-leaf parsleychopped | 1 tablespoon |
| Dijon mustard | 1 teaspoon |
| kosher salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| freshly ground black pepper | 1/4 teaspoon |
| cayenne pepper | 1/4 teaspoon |
| panko breadcrumbs | 1 cup, divided |
| neutral oil | 3 tablespoons |
| mayonnaise | 3/4 cup |
| capersdrained and roughly chopped | 2 tablespoons |
| cornichonsfinely minced | 2 tablespoons |
| whole grain mustard | 1 tablespoon |
| Dijon mustard | 1 teaspoon |
| fresh lemon juice | 1 tablespoon |
| hot sauce | 1 teaspoon |
| fresh tarragonchopped | 1 tablespoon |
| lemon wedges (optional) | for serving |
Combine the mayonnaise, chopped capers, cornichons, whole grain mustard, Dijon, lemon juice, hot sauce, and tarragon in a small bowl. Stir until uniform. Taste it. The sauce should be tangy and assertive, bright enough to stand up to the richness of the fried cakes. Adjust lemon or hot sauce as your palate dictates. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the salmon cakes. The flavors will marry and improve as they sit.
If using fresh salmon, check for pin bones by running your fingers against the grain of the flesh. Remove any you find with tweezers or needle-nose pliers. Flake the fish into a large bowl, breaking it into rough half-inch pieces. You want texture, not paste. If using canned salmon, drain thoroughly and remove any skin or large bones (the small soft bones are edible and add calcium). Flake gently, keeping some larger pieces intact.
Add the riced potato to the salmon. The potato should be cold or at room temperature, never warm, or it will make the mixture gummy. Add the beaten egg, minced shallot, celery, dill, parsley, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and 1/4 cup of the panko. Fold everything together with a rubber spatula, using a gentle hand. Overmixing compacts the salmon and produces dense, heavy cakes. The mixture should just hold together when you squeeze a handful. If it feels too loose, add another tablespoon of panko.
Spread the remaining 3/4 cup panko on a plate. Divide the salmon mixture into 8 equal portions. With damp hands, form each portion into a cake about 3 inches across and 3/4 inch thick. Press gently to compact, then dredge each cake in panko, patting to adhere on both sides. The coating should be thin but complete. Set the coated cakes on a baking sheet or plate.
Heat the oil in a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Wait until the oil shimmers and a pinch of panko sizzles immediately on contact. This takes about 2 minutes. Lay the cakes in the pan without crowding, working in batches if necessary. Cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes until the bottom turns deep golden brown. Listen for a steady, gentle sizzle. If the oil pops angrily, reduce the heat. Flip carefully with a thin spatula and cook another 3 minutes until the second side matches the first.
Transfer the finished cakes to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. This keeps the bottom crust crisp instead of steaming against a plate. Let them rest for 2 minutes while you fry any remaining batches. Serve two cakes per person with a generous spoonful of remoulade alongside (never on top, or you'll destroy your crust). Provide lemon wedges for those who want extra brightness. A simple green salad dressed with vinaigrette is all you need to complete the plate.
1 serving (about 280g)
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