THAI SPICED SALMON CAKES

You can use 2-6oz cans instead of the fresh salmon.

Servings: 4

These salmon cakes need gentle handling as the big, tender chunks of salmon can make them crumbly during shaping; if that happens, just carefully reassemble them. Serve with lightly dressed greens and Sriracha mayonnaise. You can buy the latter or make it by stirring a little of the hot sauce into your favorite mayonnaise along with a squeeze of lime juice.

Ingredients

• 4 large scallions, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 1-1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 small shallot, peeled
• 1/4 tsp. finely grated lime zest
• 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbs. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• Fine sea salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 lb. skinless salmon fillet (pin bones removed), preferably wild, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup plain panko
• Vegetable oil, for frying

• Put the scallions, garlic, ginger, shallot, lime zest and juice, fish sauce, sugar, and 1/4 tsp. salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to make a coarse paste. Add the egg, and process until blended, about 5 seconds.
• Put the fish and panko into the food processor bowl. Pulse in two short bursts, scrape down the bowl, and pulse once more; the salmon mixture should still be coarse. Transfer to a mixing bowl, and gently stir or fold by hand to combine, if necessary.
• Divide the salmon mixture into four portions, and handle lightly to form four patties, each one about 4 inches in diameter. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add enough oil to lightly coat. Cook the patties on each side until lightly browned and just cooked through, 6 minutes total, then serve.