Salmon Cakes

This recipe uses canned salmon which I haven't used much in the past but I trust the author of this recipe and have found it to be a quick meal made of pantry ingredients. I usually splurge and buy good quality wild salmon but it isn't necessary.

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Salmon Cakes 

Adapted from: What We Eat When We Eat Alone  by Deborah Madison
Serves two but can easily be multiplied.

1 (7 1/2 oz can) salmon, about 1 cup
1 1/2 T minced scallions or onion
2 T chopped parsley
1/2 teas grated lemon zest
1 T mayonnaise
1/2-1 teas mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1/2 c plus 2 T breadcrumbs, fresh or dried
olive oil for frying
optional: arugula, lemon wedges, sour cream, horseradish, or additional mayonnaise as topping


Drain the can of salmon; place in a bowl. Break it up with a fork and pick out any bones that bother you. Most of them will be quite soft because they've been canned and they'll add calcium to your diet if you happen to eat them. Add the scallions, parsley, lemon zest, mayonnaise, and mustard, and mix everything together. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir the egg into the fish followed by the breadcrumbs.

Heat a cast-iron or nonstick skillet and coat it with the oil. Shape the salmon mixture into patties. Carefully place them in the skillet and let cook for 5 minutes per side. They should be brown and crisp on the outside but moist and tender on the inside. Serve on a bed of arugula with lemon wedges and sour cream or mayonnaise or horseradish.

Note for the beginning cook: Grating the zest off any citrus means to take the color off the skin, leaving behind the white. You can do this with a rasp grater (such as a microplane), the smallest section of your box grater, or by peeling of sections with your peeler and then chopping with a knife. It is worth the effort. I advise against using dried lemon. Substituting lemon juice itself adds acidity and too much moisture. The zest provides lemon flavor without its tartness.