I saw this recipe while watching the food network and thought that it would be perfect for my resolution (not the New Years variety) to add more fish (especially salmon) to our diet. This recipe looked light and fresh and fun, so I gave it a whirl. I liked it a lot, Jasper wasn’t as enthusiastic, and it was a little bit more work than other salmon recipes I have. So I will definitely hang onto it, but not as a weekly addition.
Start by mixing together baked salmon, egg, chives, crushed saltines, corn, mustard, mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Form into patties and fry in butter and oil, drain on paper towels. Watch carefully to prevent the crackers from burning (mine got a bit dark).
Serve with a tangy and light sauce made from Greek yogurt, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Salmon Cakes
adapted from Giada at Home
makes 6-8 cakes
1 pound skinless salmon fillet
Olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup (1/2 oz) chopped fresh chives
26 saltine crackers, crushed, divided
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp mayonnaise, plus more, as needed
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Drizzle the salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Put in a baking dish and bake until just cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
Using a fork, flake the salmon into 1/2-inch pieces and put into a medium bowl. Add the egg, chives, 1/2 of the crushed crackers, the corn, mustard, mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix gently until just combined.
Form the mixture into 2 1/2-inch diameter patties, about 3/4 inches thick. (If the mixture is too dry to form into patties, add extra mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon at a time,) Carefully coat the patties in the remaining crushed crackers and refrigerate for 1 hour. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until golden and crispy, about 7 to 8 minutes each side. Drain on paper towels.
In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve the sauce with the salmon cakes.