Need a nice and yummy recipe to spice up a lovely picnic? Why not try salmon cakes? These fish cakes are absolutely perfect with a green salad for a country picnic, a day out at the beach or even as a snack, you can enjoy them wherever you want. These simple and tasty pan fried salmon cakes can be eaten indoors or outdoors!

 

Ingredients 

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 small onion

1 stalk of celery

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 15 ounce can of pink salmon or 1 ½ cups cooked salmon

1 large egg (can be substituted for 1 tablespoon water + 1 teaspoon oil)

1 ½ teaspoon Dijon or spicy brown mustard

6 slices of whole wheat bread

½ teaspoon ground pepper

 

Directions

Dice the onion into small pieces. Cut off the top and bottom. Cut in half. Discard the skin and outermost layer of the onion. Cut thin slices to make half moons. Then, dice the opposite direction to make small pieces. Do not worry if pieces are not all the same size.

Cut the celery into three equal size pieces. Slice each piece lengthwise. Then, dice the opposite direction to make small pieces. Again, do not worry if pieces are not all the same size, that’s not a problem at all.

Remove the crust from the six slices of bread. Cut the bread into thin strips. Then, dice the opposite direction to make small pieces. Dice again from each diagonal. You are looking for a crumb like consistency. You can also use a food processor and pulse for about 15 seconds.

Heat 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft but not browned.

Stir in parsley and remove from heat.

Drain salmon. On a small plate or in a small bowl, flake the salmon apart with a fork. Remove any bones or skin.

Mix egg and mustard into salmon. Combine salmon and onion mixture in a small bowl.

Add bread crumbs and pepper. Mix well.

Shape the mixture into small patties. Each patty will use 1-2 tablespoons of mixture and should fit in the palm of your hand.

This will make 12-16 patties.

Heat 1-2 teaspoons of oil in large pan over medium-high heat. Add patties (they may not all fit in one pan; make sure you have plenty of room to flip the patties easily). Cook for at least five minutes. (Do not flip them early! If they are browning too quickly, decrease the heat).

Flip the patties and cook for an additional 5 minutes. While the patties are cooking you can mix the dill sauce.

Creamy dill sauce: 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon diced chives, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon dill seeds. You can also add some chopped tomatoes or red peppers to your dill sauce to spice it up a little.

Finally, you can decorate your salmon cakes by adding a slice of smoked salmon on top and a few parsley leaves, serve your cakes with a fresh, green salad on the side for a healthy lunch or dinner.

Bon appétit!