Salmon Cakes
These salmon cakes are pan-fried and served with an avocado dip and chimichurri sauce. Certain to banish all memories of the less-than-stellar fish cakes of your youth.
Ingredients
For the salmon cakes
- 1/2 pound russet potatoes, peeled and halved (about 1 large)
- Sea salt
- 2 scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
- Handful of arugula, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup (1/2 oz) chives, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 large egg, beaten
- One (6 ounce) can of salmon, drained and picked clear of any bones
- Sunflower oil, for frying
- Flour, for dusting (optional)
- 1/2 lime
For the avocado spread
- 1 avocado, pitted
- 1/2 shallot, finely diced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the chimichurri
- 1/2 red chile pepper, seeded, or a pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 shallot, halved
- 1/4 inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 bunch of mint, leaves only (about 1 cup loosely packed)
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Assemble the salmon cakes
- In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the potato with enough water to cover by 1 inch and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the potato is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and let cool.
- In a large bowl, roughly mash the potato, then mix in the scallion, arugula, chives, and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the egg and the salmon and mash with a fork until everything comes together in a coarse mixture.
- Shape the potato-salmon mixture into balls that fit in the palm of your hand and then flatten them until they’re between 1/2 and 3/4 inch (12 and 18 mm) thick. The salmon patties will be fragile. Place on a plate, loosely cover, and slip in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Make the avocado spread
- In a medium bowl, mash the avocado with the shallot, lemon juice, and some olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Make the chimichurri
- Purée all the ingredients in a food processor until mostly smooth or the desired consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Drizzle in a little extra olive oil if the sauce is too thick.
Fry the salmon cakes
- In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, warm a splash of sunflower oil. Dust the patties with a bit of flour, if using. Carefully add the cakes to the skillet and fry util golden brown on 1 side, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Carefully flip with a spatula and fry on the other side for 3 to 4 more minutes. The cakes should be nice and hot inside.
☞ TESTER TIP: These salmon cakes are quite delicate, so take extra care both when slipping them into the skillet and when flipping them.
- Lift the salmon cakes out of the pan and onto paper towels or a brown paper bag cut open. (You can also keep them warm in a low oven until the rest are cooked, if you prefer.)
- Serve with the avocado spread, chimichurri, and lime.
Notes
- Scaling the recipe--The avocado dip and chimichurri sauce for the salmon cakes make enough for a double batch of salmon cakes.
- Storage--Leftover salmon cakes can be stored in a sealed container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. If frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat, or in a warm oven.
- Make it gluten-free--To make gluten-free salmon cakes, replace the all-purpose flour, if using, with gluten-free flour.
- Dietary--The recipe is suitable for dairy-free diets.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 749kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 33g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 414mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 7g