Salmon Cakes

Think crab cakes, but cooler, fresher, more sophisticated. Then think about baked potatoes and bacon and put all those thoughts together. This is what you get:



My mother called me the other night and said she saw this recipe on the Food Network and I had to try it. Since I could eat salmon eight days a week, I figured this was a good way to toss it up. It's a Melissa d'Arabian recipe and I followed it pretty much exactly, so she gets full credit. But it was easy, quick, and beyond delicious and I figured I'd put it here with photos so you guys could try it next time you have a salmon hankering.

What you need:

• 2 strips bacon, cooked until crispy, crumbled, bacon fat reserved (I used three bacon strips because I'm a bacon ho')
  
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 1 (14-ounce) can wild salmon, checked for large bones (I used a fresh fillet, cooked earlier in the day and then cooled)
  
• 1 baked or boiled russet potato, peeled, and fluffed with a fork
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
  

What you do:

1) Fry up some BACON! (I used three slices instead of her recommended two)

(Seriously, is there anything more beautiful in the world than frying bacon?)

2) Remove bacon, place on paper towel, toss the onions into the bacon grease (Hey, I never said this was a low-fat recipe). Cook until see-through and let cool a bit.

3) Mix the bacon, onion, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl.

4) Add the salmon

and potato

mixing gently after each addition.

5) In a shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and pepper, to taste.

6) Form patties (around 12 small ones or 9 medium) and coat them in the bread crumb topping.

7) Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat, and cook the salmon cakes in batches until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add more oil, as necessary.

Eat!

Note: I whipped up a quick sauce with mayo, Dijon mustard, a splash of rice wine vinegar and some honey to serve with it, which was awesome, but it's totally a personal thing. Me, I'm a sauce girl. But this definitely had enough flavor that it wasn't necessary.