Sid's Favourite Salmon Cakes

These "Salmon Tikkies" or "Salmon Cakes" as Sid calls them, is his favorite way of eating Salmon. 

He L-O-V-E-S these. 

Like me, Sid is also a fish addict. And perhaps this is the reason we end up eating fish three to four times a week.

There was a time when I had to make this Salmon cakes every week.

Seriously! I am not exaggerating a bit. Sam literally had to beg me to make some other salmon recipes. We still have it at least once a month .

I was raised on a steady diet of fresh water fish. My dad or Granddad use to go to the market every other day to get the freshest fish possible. But over here is a different story altogether. The fresh water fish that we get from our local Bangladeshi store have long lost their customary sweet taste and their freshness because many months have passed from the time they are caught and the time they appear on our plate. They do not appeal to me anymore.

I have to long moved to the local fish available here - Tilapia, Catfish, Trout, Bass, Mackerel and our family favorite Salmon.

These Fish Cakes are inspired by Rachael Rays's Salmon Burger. As usual I did not have all the ingredients and had tweaked the recipe to our liking. Salmon is such a flavorful fish, you really do not need a lot of spices to liven it up. Rather, I like using minimal but complementary spices that brings out the unique buttery taste of the Salmon.

Another key thing to remember when cooking salmon is not to over cook it. Salmon is a fatty fish and it releases a lot of its nutrient rich oil while cooking. If let to overcook, it can turn rubbery very fast. So keep a close eye on the pan while cooking it.

We love having our Salmon Cakes with a light and fluff Quinoa Pilaf. It can also be served as an appetizer with a dip of choice. It goes really well with Tzatziki Dip.

Recipe Snapshot: Salmon Cakes Loosely adapted from Rachael Rays's Salmon Burger Serves: 3 serving (1 serving = 2 - 3 fish cakes) What I used: Salmon fillets (Skinless) - 2 ( each fillet at least 6 oz) Garlic - 4 -6 fat cloves, crushed and roughly chopped Green chilies - 2, coarsely chopped (optional) Dill leaves - 1 cup, packed Coarse Mustard (or Dijon if you prefer) - 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning  - 2 tsp (or Garam Masala or Shaan Fish Seasoning or just salt and pepper) Egg - 1, lightly beaten Plain Bread Crumbs - 1/4 cup Oil Spray What I did:  1. Wash and pat dry the salmon fillet. There should be no moisture left. 2. In a food processor, combine the salmon fillet, garlic, mustard, dill leaves and the Old Bay Seasoning. The Old Bay seasoning had enough salt and you do not need any extra salt. In case you are using any other seasoning like Garam Masala or Shaan Fish Seasoning, add some salt. 3. Pulse the above ingredients to get a coarse texture. We do not want a paste. Little chunky stuff is all we need. While pulsing stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl, so that all the ingredients are incorporated thoroughly.  4. Remove the salmon-dill mixture into a large bowl, add the lightly beaten egg and the bread crumbs. Use your hands to mix everything. If the mixture is still soft and its difficult to form patties, add a little more breadcrumbs. 5. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. I prefer non stick sprays, because you can cover a lot more area with little oil. For this fish cakes you don't need to add a lot of oil. Salmon will release a lot of its own oil and will get cooked in it.  6. Make equal sized patties out of the fish mixture and pan sear it on both sides. Five minuets on the first side and three minutes on the other. We don't want to over cook them. 7. Serve with a dipping sauce of choice. My favorite is Tzatziki Dip.

Diabetic Platter: Salmon is a highly nutritious food. Of course, it is high in protein, and the “good fats", i.e, Omega-3 fatty acids. But did you know that a 4 oz serving of wild salmon provides a full day’s requirement of vitamin D? It is one of the few foods that can make that claim. That same piece of fish contains over half of the necessary B12, niacin, and selenium, and is an excellent source of B6 and magnesium. Canned salmon also contains large amounts of calcium (due to the bones of the fish). Read the entire article here.

---