FISH!!!!!!!


I cooked for a new client yesterday. Actually, they’re a family with a brand new (still under warranty) 12 day old baby boy. Truly, there’s nothing more spectacular or eye-catching than an infant. Very cute. Hugely adorable. And I NEVER use the words cute and adorable. Well, certainly never in the same thought.

Anyway, one of the items I made today was a salmon cake. No, not the usual croquettes everyone’s mother made (would you eat something who’s name is a variation on “croak?”). Okay, so I liked them when I was growing up. But I did two things that makes these not your mom’s croquette. First, I didn’t use canned salmon. And in the interest of full disclosure, I really do like canned salmon. No, I boghut one pound of fresh salmon, and poached it. Yup, I simmered some water, white wine, onions, and peppercorns, and poached the fish for 9 minutes. Then I cooled it.

Then, instead of the mom-inspired croquette recipe, I used my crab cake recipe. Some Worcestershire. Some Tabasco. Scallions. And mustard. No grated potatoes. And no matzoh meal. Okay, maybe some bread crumbs. And they worked out well. The new parents loved them. So here’s the recipe. And if it looks familiar, that’s because I adapted it from Chris Schlesinger’s first cookbook, The Thrill of the Grill. Here it is:

Crab or Salmon Cakes


1# crabmeat or 1# Poached Salmon
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons mustard
7 dashes Tabasco
8 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients, except the cornmeal, Panko, and olive oil.

Shape the mixture into round patties, approximately 1 1/2” thick. Combine cornmeal and Panko, and roll crab cakes in cornmeal mixture.

In a large skillet, over a medium heat, add the olive oil. Sauté the crab cakes until golden colored, approximately 4-3 minutes per side.

Makes approximately 8-10 crab cakes, or 24-30 mini-crab cakes

Notes:

• You can use cooking spray instead of olive oil. You just need a light coating of oil in the pan
• If you don’t have Panko, just use the corn meal