Southwestern Salmon Cakes

I recipe hunt a lot.  Most often I am browsing haphazardly for nothing in particular--just looking for any recipe that sounds good to me at the time. I bookmark many recipes (more than I will ever cook in this lifetime) and come back to my list when I am ready to make a weekly menu and subsequent grocery list.  I frequently surprise myself when looking back at my bookmarked list, either forgetting about a recipe all together or wondering 'what on earth was I thinking?' when a second glance gets a grossly different take than the first.

This Southwestern Salmon Cake recipe was one of those recipes that I had bookmarked a couple of weeks ago.  I found it in my new cookbook (The Best Simple Recipes...which could be yours) and I was caught by surprise with the recipe. It looked instantly delicious to me, but then it just sat there, bookmarked, and forgotten about it.  If I had made this weeks earlier when I originally bookmarked it, I would have already made it again.  Probably even twice by now.  It was that good, and it could not have been easier to make.  The outcome was a crisp exterior encasing a tender, fresh, flavorful interior. The accompanying lime and cilantro mayonnaise (oh-my-goodness-de-lish-us) was not only wonderful, it also perfectly complements the salmon cake and gives it an extra southwestern punch.  Just like the first recipe I tried from this cookbook, this one too was easy enough for a weekday meal, but good enough for company.

Even though Salmon cakes were traditionally prepared with canned or leftover cooked salmon, America's Test Kitchen recommended only using fresh.  I have only made this recipe once and I followed ATK's instructions.  From what I tasted, I wouldn't change one. single. thing.


Southwestern Salmon Cakes
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INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon lime zest
4 teaspoons lime juice
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 3/4 cups panko bread crumbs, divided
1 pound skinless salmon fillets, chopped fine
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
2 scallions, sliced thin
1/2 cup vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro in bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2.  Place 1 cup panko bread crumbs in shallow dish.  Combine salmon, chiles, scallions, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise mixture, and remaining panko crumbs in bowl.  Mix well and then divide salmon mixture into 4 equal portions.  Form each portion into a 3 1/2-inch patty.  Dredge each patty into panko crumbs in shallow dish, pressing gently on the crumbs to make sure they adhere.

3.  Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Add 2 patties to skillet and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.  Repeat with remaining 2 patties; no additional oil is necessary.  Serve with remaining mayonnaise mixture.

Recipe adapted slightly from The Best Simple Recipes.

Other Salmon and/or Salmon Cake recipes that you might enjoy:
Wild Salmon Cakes with Kaffir Lime and Ginger by House of Annie
Salmon-Corn Cakes by White On Rice Couple
Asain inspired Salmon Cakes by Mehan's Kitchen
Thai Fish Cakes with Cucumber Relish by One Perfect Bite
Salmon with Lemon Pepper Sauce and Watercress-Herb Salad by Shih's Cooking

This recipe is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods, and Tasty Tuesday.