FRESH SALMON CAKES

This is a tasty salmon cake with a fresh flavor and good for awakening taste buds. All ingredients used should be fresh. You can also make it a bit spicier with the addition of cayenne pepper or Old Bay seasoning. Once you gather the ingredients you’re almost done. For lunch serve with a green salad and a frittata.

SALMON CAKES

makes 5-6

¼ lb. fresh salmon

1-2 slices smoked salmon/lox, in small pieces

2 medium potato, boiled in their skins and cooled (used Yukon Gold)

1 tablespoon finely grated onion (I used Vidalia)

1 teaspoon or a dash smoked paprika

½ teaspoon or a dash sumac, optional

1 teaspoon mayonnaise, optional (I used Just Mayo)

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon chives, snipped in 1/4–inch pieces

1 tablespoon or to taste, fresh lemon juice

pinch sea salt (careful, the lox is salty)

couple of grinds white pepper, if you have, or black

1 whole egg

panko

Olive oil and/or grapeseed oil

Poach the salmon in water with some lemon pieces. Remove from the poaching liquid and cool. Remove the salmon skin and mash in a bowl. Peel the potato and mash with a little bit of olive oil. Add the smoked salmon, 1 mashed potato, capers, chives, lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Combine everything using your hands. You don’t want a very moist mixture but just enough to hold together. If it’s too moist add a bit more mashed potato. This is why you are boiling 2 but only using 1. It’s a safety measure.

UNCOOKED SALMON CAKES

Shape the mixture into flat patties about 2 inches in diameter. [If you like, make a 6^th patty very small so you can fry it and test for flavor.] Place on a plate and refrigerate, covered, for about an hour and up to overnight. This will help the flavors and firm them up.

When you are ready to cook the patties remove them from the fridge. Heat the oil in a pan large enough to hold them. Add enough oil to coat the pan. Put the egg in one bowl and beat it, and the panko in another. Dip each patty in the egg then coat with the panko. Place in the hot oil and cook until browned on one side then flip over. It should take about 4 minutes altogether. Take out and place on a paper towel to drain. Remove the paper towel after about 3 minutes.

FRYING THE CAKES

FRITTATA

SALAD, FRITTATA, SALMON CAKE, SAUCE

Let cool to room temperature or eat hot with some sauce.

Creamy Mustard Sauce

2 tablespoons plain yogurt ( I used Cabot Greek style)

1 teaspoon mayonnaise, optional

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

White wine, I had some Sauvignon Blanc

Mix the yogurt, mayonnaise and mustard together. Thin with a little white wine until the consistency you like. Taste and adjust flavors.

THAT'S LUNCH! (Gorgonzola cheese, red seedless grapes, rye crisp)