Start with a Can and a Plan

Last week's fish cakes were delicious, and I decided to repeat the process this week with salmon because Giada De Laurentiis' newest cookbook, Weeknights with Giada had an intriguing dinner called "Salmon Cakes with Lemon-Caper Yogurt Sauce" that used canned salmon as the basis for the recipe. Could canned salmon be as good in fish cakes as the fresh fish was in last week's recipe? Well, every recipe I have ever made from any of her cooksbooks (and I will confess to owning them all) has been above average good. So... that's this week's new recipe.

Salmon Cakes with Lemon-Caper Yogurt Sauce

salmon cakes

1(14.75 oz) can bonless, skinless pink salmon, drained

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped

26 saltine crackers, crushed (1 1/3 cups)

1 cup corn kernals

1/4 cup mayonnaise, plus more if needed  (I used salad dressing)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Using a fork flake the salmon into 1/2 inch pieces into a medium bowl. Add the egg, chives, 1/2 cup of crushed crackers, corn, mayonnaise, mustard, capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix gently until just combined. Form into 10 patties (I actually made 8 patties), each about 3/4 inch thick. If the mixture is too dry, add mayonnaise 1 tablespoon at a time (I did not need to add any).  Carefully coat the patties with the remaining crushed crackers and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil and butter together over medium  heat. Add the salmon patties and cook for 7 to 8 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. Drain the patties on paper towels.

Sauce

1/2 cup full-fat plain reek yogurt

1 1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and chopped

1 tablespoon gradted lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly grouind black pepper

In a small bowl mix all the ingredients together.

It may seem like this recipe takes a fair amount of ingredients, but when I looked in the cupboards after reading through it for the first time, I only needed a can of salmon and some saltines, everything else was on hand. It goes together quickly. I had the whole meal on the table in slightly over a half hour, but I must confess that I did not chill the patties in the refrigerator. This tasted really, really good, and it was a toss up about which fish cakes indeed were superior.

This is well worth trying, enjoy!