Salmon Cakes with Latkes and Asparagus

Here we are. I was honestly so excited about this dish. And, I think I still am. But isn't that plate just dying for a sauce??? Hollandaise would be soo soo yummy. Well, as I mentioned before. I ruined the hollandaise. I am not sure I want to show the horrible-ness of it. But, I will. :(

People still put it on their plates. What nice friends I have. It actually tasted decent. Like lemon and butter.

A few friends and Scot were helping me in the kitchen throughout the process. And, sitting on the counter was a 4 cup measuring cup. With 7.5 sticks of butter. And that....is what Scot is deathly afraid of. Now, it was way more hollandaise sauce than I needed, even for 12 people. I just wasn't sure. So I tripled the recipe that I found. I am pretty sure that the original recipe would be perfect for 12 people. Which would have only been 2.5 sticks of butter. Much less scary. Whoops. Anyways, I am going to make Eggs Benedict in a few days. Redeem myself.

As for the other parts of the dish. The salmon cakes were nice. I ended up serving just one per person, which is the right amount. They are pretty rich. We have been eating the thousands that are left over over brown rice. The latkes are just my favorite thing ever. I wish they didn't get quite so crisp/dry, but things like that happen when things are mass produced. I had them in the oven staying warm for probably about 20 minutes too long. I made them with Migas not too long ago, and they were so good! I will make these all the time for breakfast now!

For the asparagus, I just boiled them for about 2 minutes and shocked them in cold, ice water. I served them cold/room temperature and I thought they were good. With hollandaise, they would have been amazing.

Salmon Cakes

by Melissa D’Arabian

2 strips bacon, cooked until crispy, crumbled, bacon fat reserved

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

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

Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat in a small saute pan over low heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Cool the onions for a bit.

Mix the bacon, onion, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl. Add the salmon and potato, mixing gently after each addition. Form the mixture into 12 small patties. In a shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and pepper, to taste. Coat the patties in the bread crumb topping. 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. Arrange on a serving platter and serve.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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Potato Pancakes [Latkes]

by smitten kitchen

My formula is roughly this: a one-pound russet or baking potato to one small onion, a large egg, quarter-cup of flour, teaspoon of salt and a hefty pinch of black pepper. How many you yield has to do with how big you make them; I aim for small ones (approximately three inches across) and get about a dozen per batch.

But, if you’re not a formula person, here is a more official-like recipe:

1 large baking potato (1 pound), peeled

1 small onion (4 ounces), peeled

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon

freshly ground pepper

Peanut oil, for frying

In a food processor or on a box grater, coarsely shred the potato and onion. For longer strands, lay the potato sideways in the chute of your food processor. Transfer to a colander or wrap in a cheesecloth sling, and squeeze as dry as possible. Let stand for 2 minutes, then squeeze dry again.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, egg, salt and pepper together. Stir in the potato onion mixture until all pieces are evenly coated.

In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until shimmering. Drop packed teaspoons of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten them with the back of a spoon. Cook the latkes over moderately high heat until the edges are golden, about 1 1/2 minutes; flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.

Do ahead: Latkes are a do-ahead-er’s dream. You can also keep latkes warm in the oven for an hour or more, if you’re waiting for stragglers to arrive. Cooked, they keep well in the fridge for a day or two, or in the freezer, well wrapped, for up to two weeks. Reheat them in a single layer on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven until they’re crisp again. Bonus: If you undercooked them a bit or didn’t get the browning on them you’d hoped for, you can compensate for this in the oven.

(Servings: 3, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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