Salmon Cakes

I couldn't recall the last time that I had eaten salmon cakes, so I was excited to make them. But wow!  They were even better than I had anticipated.  Serve with an arugula salad dressed with a lemon-vinegerette, and you have a perfect low carb Summer dinner.  Now if only June-gloom would pass so it would be warm enough to sit outside...

Pan-fried Salmon Cakes

Prepare seasoning and fillers while the salmon comes to temperature.  Finely chop 2 tbsp each of fresh parsley, shallot, and scallion.  Mix in a bowl with 3-4 tbsp of bread crumbs (I will try gluten-free next time), juice from one half of a lemon, 1/2 tbsp of dijon mustard, and 2 tbsp mayo.  Season with salt and pepper.

Slice 1lb of skinless salmon fillet into manageable pieces.  Coarsely grind in a food processor using short bursts.  It's probably best to do it in batches to ensure better uniformity in the grind - remember, we want ground salmon, not salmon paste.

Mix ground salmon with fillers until combined.  I was able to make six uniform patties with this batch.  Once formed, gently coat them with bread crumbs by setting them in a bed of bread crumbs on a separate plate.  

Heat several tablespoons of cooking fat on medium-high.  I used left-over bacon fat, but I suppose vegetable oil would suffice.  Drop a couple of bread crumbs into the hot fat, and if it bubbles, then it's ready to fry.  Cook until golden-brown, two-three minutes per each side.  

Drain over paper towels and serve with homemade tartar sauce (thanks mom).  

And when they're in season, don't forget the berries and cream.