Salmon Cakes

Some may use canned salmon when making salmon cakes but it is so much better and very simple to cook fresh salmon or here's an idea- when you have salmon for dinner be sure and save enough to make salmon cakes the next day.

Makes about 20 appetizer size or 10 full size

Ingredients:

1/2 pound fresh salmon

Olive oil for brushing salmon

4 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Â½ cup small-diced red onion

1 cups small-diced celery

1/2 cup small-diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

3 slices stale bread, crusts removed

1/2 cup good mayonnaise

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the salmon on a sheet pan, skin side down. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until just cooked. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes and refrigerate until cold.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sautÃ© pan on medium heat. Add the onion, celery, red and jalapeno peppers, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper and cook until the vegetables are soft, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Break the bread slices in pieces and process the bread in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. You should have about 1 cup of bread crumbs. Place the bread crumbs on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 5 minutes until lightly browned, tossing occasionally.

Flake the chilled salmon into a large bowl. Add the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs. Add the vegetable mixture and mix well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Shape into 2 inch round patties for appetizer size or 4 inch rounds for larger
servings.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sautÃ© pan over medium heat. In batches, add the salmon cakes and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until browned. Drain on paper towels; keep them warm in a preheated 250 degree F oven and serve hot.

Serve with lemon caper sauce: Mix 2 teaspoons capers and 1 tablespoon lemon juice + the zest from the lemon to 1 cup mayonnaise or sour cream.

Cooking Wiser
Use low fat sour cream or salad dressing to replace the mayonnaise for less calories

Make it your own

Add more heat with a little hot sauce
Use cilantro to replace parsley
Add more color with yellow pepper, add about 1/4 cup