Savory Salmon Cakes with Green Goddess Dressing
Typically for Oscar’s week, I like to pair food and drink with the nominated movies. It’s tough this year — I mean, what would you pair with Whiplash? Instead I thought we should go classic and glamorous like the 1920’s when the Academy Awards started.
My Salmon Cakes aren’t from the 1920s, but the sauce is based off one first made in San Francisco in the Roaring Twenties. Green Goddess dressing is said to have been first created at my favorite San Francisco hotel, the Palace. I have stayed in this hotel numerous times, which makes my love of Green Goddess that much stronger.
This recipe for Salmon Cakes is simple and delicious and great for dinner or an appetizer. You can just adjust the size of each cake depending on how you are serving them. Serve along with a drizzle of the Green Goddess sauce and you will love them. My recipe for Green Goddess makes a large amount so you can use it for salads and other dishes as well.
- 1 salmon fillet (3/4-1 pound)
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- 1 bunch green onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 tb. red pepper flakes
- 1 tb. capers
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 whole grain slice of bread
- 1 cup quinoa
- 3 tb. chopped dill
- ¼ cup or more of mayonnaise
- Rub Salmon fillet with olive oil on both sides and then season with salt and pepper. Bake salmon on a parchment lined baking sheet for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, until salmon is just cooked through. Remove from oven and let rest and cool. When cool enough to handle, flake salmon up and remove any bones. set aside for later.
- In a pan, combine 2 cups of water with 1 cup of dry quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover.
- Place bread slice in food processor and pulse to make bread crumbs, set aside.
- In the bowl of the food processor, pulse the green onions and garlic. Add in chopped red pepper. Note the red pepper will become a bit mushy, but that’s okay. Pulse only a few times — any large chunks remaining, chop with a knife.
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a nonstick pan and add onion mixture. Sauté until softened, but not overly cooked.
- In a bowl, mix salmon and onion mixture. Season with red pepper flakes, a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix in chopped capers and quinoa. Let cool for a bit.
- When cooled, mix in bread crumbs, 2 whisked eggs and dill. Cover mixture and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Before prepping cakes, mix in mayonnaise to bind the mixture more. Start with 1/4 cup and then add more if needed.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and preheat a baking sheet as well.
- Stir salmon mixture and form into whatever size cakes you would like.
- Remove preheated baking sheet from oven and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
- Place cakes on sheet and bake for 10 minutes, then gently flip cakes and bake another 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let rest for a minute or two and then serve.
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1 1/2 cups basil
- 1/4 cups flat leaf parsley
- dash of cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the garlic and green onions until minced. Add in the basil and parsley and pulse until it looks almost like pesto. Add in fish sauce, lemon and vinegar. Mix. Then add in mayonnaise and sour cream. Pulse to incorporate and season with seasonings.
- Place in bowl or container and cover and chill in fridge for at least an hour before using.
- Add more sour cream and it becomes a nice dip for a vegetable platter at parties.
