how to I make salmon behave properly?

January 24, 2008 11:48 AM

How do I make salmon "cakes"?

Or, rather, something similar to salmon patties or salmon croquettes. I've googled and found some recipes but most do not line up with what I actually want to do.

I want to make the salmon cakes with the frozen salmon that is, at present, hanging out in my fridge defrosting. And, I want to bake rather than fry. Most of the recipes online call for canned salmon and frying.

Can you give me a good recipe for what I want to do? I would prefer recipes that you have tried and have worked but would also be cool with general "if something says to fry it for X minutes, you can bake it for Y minutes" advice.

posted by mustcatchmooseandsquirrel to Food & Drink (13 answers total)

Is this what you're looking for?
posted by missuswayne at 12:08 PM on January 24, 2008

http://chezmegane.blogspot.com/2006/10/salmon-cakes.html

that recipe includes instructions for baking and frying - I suspect you could follow these baking instructions with just about any recipe.

good luck!
posted by jengineer at 12:09 PM on January 24, 2008

First, cook your presumably raw thawed salmon by baking or poaching. Then follow any of these recipes for baked salmon cakes.
posted by ottereroticist at 12:13 PM on January 24, 2008

Salmon patties are usually made with canned salmon ... the gooey bones and such that are included with canned salmon help hold them together. I am not sure how you would use a filet, if that's what you have. I'll try, though.

The food processor is probably your best bet - you could put in your salmon, add an egg or two, some saltine crackers (or bread crumbs or panko) and a dash of tobasco. Blend to a fine consistency and form into patties. Bake on a non-stick cookie sheet.

I would probably makes something like this in my toaster oven, with the little metal tray that comes with it. I seem to get a better crusting effect with things like this.
posted by Ostara at 12:17 PM on January 24, 2008

How about these? They're browned in the pan and then baked.
posted by amarynth at 12:26 PM on January 24, 2008

Salmon Cakes with Lemon-Dill Remoulade

For the salmon cakes:

2 pounds salmon fillet
1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers
salt and pepper


For the remoulade:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place fish on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper, then bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Remove and cool completely, patting dry with paper towels. When cooled, flake the fish with a fork.

In a large bowl, combine all the other ingredients for the salmon cakes, then add the flaked salmon and combine thoroughly. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Form the mixture into 8 patties and place them on a baking sheet lined with foil. Refrigerate until they firm up, about 20-30 minutes. Heat broiler and broil cakes until lightly browned, 6-8 minutes

For the remoulade, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill for at least half an hour to let flavors meld.

You can freeze the salmon cakes for up to one month wrapped in plastic and sealed inside freezer bags. Alternatives to using capers: horseradish, Tabasco, or minced pickled jalapeños. Alternatives to the dill in the remoulade: parsley or cilantro.
posted by briank at 12:41 PM on January 24, 2008 [1 favorite]

salmon patties - we called them salmon cakes or fish patties growing up. Good luck!
posted by heartquake at 1:18 PM on January 24, 2008

And then I realized that wasn't what you wanted. I would probably just put it in the food processor and follow any of the above recipes. B/c if you cook it and then flake and bake - I imagine the dryness factor would be insane.
posted by heartquake at 1:20 PM on January 24, 2008

If you can get your hands on some transglutaminase, you'll be able to make fresh salmon cakes without any of the binders (e.g., eggs, mayo, etc.) that can cloud the flavor.
posted by dbolll at 1:25 PM on January 24, 2008

i know this is not what your looking for...But with an Alaskan commercial fisherman in the family i get a lot of salmon once a year. So i have a couple of recommendations that you don't hear to often

Salmon salad is really easy to make with any left overs and is really good

I also save some of the skin of salmon and then make sushi with it. When ready to use the saved frozen skin, just though it out and throw it in the toaster oven until it reaches the perfect chewy/crunchy texture. YUM!
posted by Black_Umbrella at 2:18 PM on January 24, 2008

Response by poster: All good answers. What I am really worried about is what heartquake mentioned - if I precook the salmon and then form the patties and put them in the oven, I am afraid that the result will be too dry.
posted by mustcatchmooseandsquirrel at 3:28 PM on January 24, 2008

That's why I recommended poaching. Cook it lightly in salted water or court bouillion, and it should be fine. Remember canned salmon has already been cooked to hell. The other things in the recipe help make it moist.
posted by ottereroticist at 4:23 PM on January 24, 2008

I first underbake my FRESH, flash frozen salmon (because it has a ways to go in fry pan and oven). I cool it, flake it, and add chopped onion and green pepper in equal quantity, and then add Old Bay, Salmon Classic Mix, but only because I am inherantly a bit lazy. They call for 1/2 cup mayo to bind with their mix, with those nasty, OMG additives!, but you can cut that down to a third less or even half. If I chose to make this a bit healthier, and I were not so lazy, I would add lots of Old Bay, OMG additives!, seasoning to a third, or even a half cup of fresh wheat bread crumbs, or a quarter cup of dried. Mayo is just egg and oil really, so I use it whenever possible, but maybe I say that because I am a whining white person, according to something I read earlier tonight on the blue. Go figure? Anyway, you need to then form into patties, because they now have the glue (egg, oil, crumbs) that makes that possible. Now, you need to brown these puppies, and sorry there is no way to do this right, except in a fry pan with oil. HOT oil, so that all that oil doesn't get absorbed by those beautiful, healthy FRESH salmon cakes. Do this quickly, and only for color and crisp. If it makes you feel better, you can then put same cakes in the oven at 350 degrees for ten minutes, and call them, well, what else, but "half-baked"!, she said with a wink and a smile.
posted by LiveLurker at 9:00 PM on January 24, 2008