I love salmon, and these salmon cakes are the bomb!
There are no fillers, like bread crumbs or eggs, so this is a super fast and easy recipe with only five ingredients!
It is also very nutritious!
The key is in the preparation. This is definitely not your mother's or grandmother's salmon cakes or salmon croquettes! Finish these delicious Salmon Cakes off with a chilli jam to balance the dish and give it a little sweet and spicy kick!
My father-in-law has bad memories of eating salmon croquettes made from canned salmon.
This was a cheaper preparation that used lots of fillers to make the salmon go a long way.
In this recipe, we will use a large fresh salmon fillet; and there is no comparison to the salmon croquettes of my father-in-law's day. It's kind of like comparing canned tuna to a fresh tuna fillet grilled to perfection.
And the best part is that you can have this beautiful meal on the table in less than 30 minutes.
This is not my recipe, but I have a section in my/our blog called, Penny Tries It. In this section, I will try different recipes and give you my feedback, and let you know any changes that I made to the recipe.
I love salmon and eat it a couple of times a week. But this preparation was a revelation to me. It was so simple but different from any salmon recipe I have ever made.
Basically, Jamie puts spices and herbs on a cutting board and divides the salmon into two sections.
In one section you chop the salmon into half-inch (1 cm) chunks, and in the other portion/section you chop the salmon into super-fine chunks, almost like a puree. You mix both portions of the salmon with the spices on the cutting board and then shape the salmon into patties to cook in a skillet.
There are no fillers like breadcrumbs or eggs. I would have thought the patties would not hold together when I cooked them in the skillet, but they do!
You have to be a little gentle when cooking them, but the oil in the fish is sufficient to hold them together. And I love that I am feeding my family something so fresh, with no need to add extra fillers.
To sum up...simple, healthy, and delicious!
In case you don't know, Jamie Oliver is a popular British chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author. He achieved worldwide fame with his television shows The Naked Chef and Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. I love his casual style and passion for healthy food.
I copied his recipe for your convenience and highlighted my changes and suggestions.
I also converted his metric measurements to make it easier for us Americans!
For his original recipe click on the highlighted link below:
So let's get started!...
SERVES 4
COOKS IN 22 MINUTES
DIFFICULTY SUPER EASY
Note: You can increase the amount of salmon and other ingredients to serve more than 4 people.
Tip: Be sure to let the salmon sit out for 15-30 minutes out of the refrigerator so it is not super cold. (You can safely let raw fish sit out for 2 hours, although I would not wait that long). This will ensure that the salmon cooks evenly and is not raw on the inside and overcooked on the outside.
NUTRITION PER SERVING
Calories 277kcal
Fat 17.2g
Sat Fat 2.9g
Protein 25.7g
Carbs 4.8g
Sugar 3.8g
Salt 0.7g
Fiber 0.1g
Ingredients
1 stick of lemongrass (I have used lemongrass before, but this time, I used 1-2 tsp of lemon zest or the zest from one lemon)
6 cm or approximately 2 1/2 inch pieces of ginger
½ a bunch of fresh coriander *(Cilantro) Or substitute parsley
500 g (18 oz of salmon fillets, in other words, 4 - 4 to 5 oz fillets without the skin) skin off, pin-boned (pin-boned just means with the bones removed. Don't worry, most salmon fillets have the bones removed already!) from sustainable sources.
*(I bought a large skin-on piece of salmon for a cheaper price, and took the skin off with a boning knife). I also increased the amount of salmon to around 30 oz or 6, 5 oz fillets so I could serve 6 people.
4 teaspoons chilli jam- see below for an explanation.
*Note: Coriander is Cilantro for us Americans. Chilli jam (we spell it with only one "l") is usually a jam that has a spicy component or a spicy pepper added to it. I used Red Pepper Jelly- but you can use any jam you prefer- spicy or not!
*I used Red Pepper Jelly for the Chilli Jam.
Method (If confusing, see below)
Whack the lemongrass against your work surface and remove the tough outer layer. Or zest one lemon.
Peel the ginger, then very finely chop it with the inside of the lemongrass or lemon zest and most of the coriander (Cilantro) or parsley, and all, reserving a few nice leaves (of Cilantro or parsley) in a bowl of cold water.
Chop the salmon into 1 cm or 1/2 inch chunks over the mix on your board, then push half the salmon to one side.
Chop the rest until super-fine, almost like a purĂŠe, then mix the chunkier bits back through it and season with sea salt and black pepper.
5. Divide into 4, then shape and squash into 2cm or one inch thick patties.
*If the explanation of the method above is confusing, see above for the general explanation. Well, let me just copy it for you below...
Basically, Jamie puts chopped spices and herbs on a cutting board and divides the salmon into two sections.
In one section you chop the salmon into half-inch (1 cm) chunks, and in the other portion/section you chop the salmon into super-fine chunks, almost like a puree. You mix both portions of the salmon with the spices on the cutting board and then shape the salmon into patties. 
6. Place a large non-stick frying pan on medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon (or more to cover the pan) of olive oil.
7. Cook the patties for 2 minutes on each side, or until nicely golden. Cook in batches- do not crowd the pan. Put the lid on for a minute to hasten the cooking if necessary.
8. Spoon the chili jam over the fishcakes (in the pan), add a splash of water to the pan, turn the heat off, and jiggle to coat. Or you take the salmon cakes out of the pan. Warm up the jam for 20-30 seconds in the microwave, and drizzle or pour the jam over the salmon cakes.
9. Serve sprinkled with drained coriander (Cilantro) or parsley.
Tips EASY SWAPS Iâm using fresh salmon, but you could use frozen if thatâs what youâve got, or swap it out for white fish or even prawns. No lemongrass? Just use lemon zest instead.
Ways to Serve...
The next day, I love to serve the salmon cakes over baby spinach with a drizzle of balsamic glaze (which you can buy in your grocery store. I buy mine at The Fresh Market).
You can serve the salmon cakes warm or at room temperature/ cool.
Serve the salmon cakes with roasted veggies. In the pic, veggies include Brussels sprouts, yellow squash, and butternut squash.
For directions on how to roast veggies, click here for my blog post on My Quick Healthy Sheet Pan Dinner. The directions for veggies are in the post. đ
I hope you and your family love these salmon cakes as much as we do!
Much love and bon appetit! â¤ď¸đ, p
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