Salmon Cakes with Lemon-Caper Yogurt Sauce

While Daddy and I were having Meghan's yummy Ham and Swiss Puffs, little one was chowing on these tasty cakes.........for those of you that know what a REAL Tasty Cake is, no these were not like those yummy childhood chocolate confections from "up north", but they were good and so worth the effort.  Healthy and hearty and the wee one loved them.....ok - i admit, not on first pass, she was skeptical, but we were a go on introduction #2!  Hey - that is what being a mommy chef is about - you never  give up on offering foods. It can take something like 15+ introductions before a taste is acquired for a certain food.


You'll soon learn, if you read and stick with this blog, that I have a slight.......ok, complete girl crush on Giada.  And yup - this recipe is from yours truly.  The only thing I altered was I used [insert me wincing] canned salmon.  Sorry, that's is what i had on hand, and sometimes, that has to be good enough or else you'll stress yourself out.  I find that I have to allow myself to be flexible while cooking.

And just an additional note for those like me that travel with some home cooked meals for the little one to eat, these cakes would be perfect for travel.  Just be careful, an oven/toaster would be best for reheating, a microwave would render them kin to a kitchen sponge!  This recipe made 5 cakes, one for dinner and 4 for another meal - score!. 

Ingredients

Salmon:

• 1 pound skinless salmon fillet (see Cook's Note)
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Patties:

• 1 large egg , beaten
• 1/3 cup (1/2-ounce) chopped fresh chives
• 26 saltine crackers, crushed, divided
• 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, plus more, as needed
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Salmon: Put a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until the flesh is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, about 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.

Patties: Using a fork, flake the salmon into 1/2-inch pieces and put into a medium bowl. Add the egg, chives, 1/2 of the crushed crackers, the corn, mustard, mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix gently until just combined. Form the mixture into 2 1/2-inch diameter patties, about 3/4 inches thick. (If the mixture is too dry to form into patties, add extra mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon at a time,) Carefully coat the patties in the remaining crushed crackers and refrigerate for 1 hour. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until golden and crispy, about 7 to 8 minutes each side. Drain on paper towels.

Sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Arrange the salmon cakes on a platter and serve alongside the sauce.