Whole 30 Salmon Cakes
Mmmm, cake. Yes, even fish cakes make me happy.
These Salmon Cakes are a knock-out classic from Melissa Joulwan’s Well-Fed. They are so good they must be shared far and wide – for something that the kids will eat as well as the adults is a worth timeless posterity. They are so easy, once you master boned-canned salmon that they will be a regular meal. And, it takes no more effort to double the batch than to make it as written and it freezes and thaws really well. Always double for later!
If you want to sub crab for salmon that works too but let’s chat about that canned salmon. Obviously, get the best your budget will allow – preferably wild-caught. The kind with skin and bones is the cheapest. You can pick the bones out or just crunch them up. Or, just pick out the big ones and crunch up the little ones. It’s okay, really. Picking out all the bones takes forever. Taking out the big ones is pretty simple. There is normally a natural place the salmon wants to split open. Inside the split, the little vertebrae are lying in a nice little row. Flick them off and you’re done. If you want all the wee bones then you’ll need to get to work. It is not in the times mentioned in the recipe because it will really depend on your level of commitment to deboning. The other option is to buy them with all that removed, but you will pay for it. In any case, these are completely legit and totally worth making.
I highly recommend doubling and using the leftovers for breakfast with a big drizzly fried egg on top. Or on some greens for lunch…or dinner…or after a workout. You can
eat them in a boat, with a goat, on a box, with a fox, here or there, you can eat them anywhere! (But, I digress…)
If you are meal planning, do some mashed sweet potatoes beforehand and use the leftovers here. Or, cook a bunch and eat the leftover sweet potatoes tomorrow. Or, just used canned.
If for some reason you don’t have some ingredients don’t blow off the recipe. Make it your own and work with it. The non-negotiables are salmon, sweet potatoes, eggs, and almond flour. The rest can be altered and you will still get cakes. For instance: out of ghee? No problem use some olive oil. No hot sauce or worried about the kids? Skip it. Easy Peasy. Now, go eat!
Whole 30 Salmon Cakes
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20-30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50-60 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 – 14 oz. can pink or red salmon
- 1 cup sweet potatoes, mashed
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ½ cup almond flour or meal
- ½ cup Italian Parsley, minced
- 2 scallions, whites and greens, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. hot sauce, optional
- ½ tsp. paprika or smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- zest from 1 lemon
- 2 Tbsp. melted ghee, divided
Optional Garnish:
- Remoulade Sauce
- Italian Parsley
- Lemon Wedges
Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Drain the salmon. Crumble the fish into a large mixing bowl. Remove the large bones, crumble the small ones, and flake the fish. Add the sweet potato, eggs, almond flour, parsley, scallions, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, hot pepper sauce, paprika, black pepper, and lemon zest. Mix well and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Brush the parchment paper with melted ghee (reserve some for the cakes). Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop the cakes and drop them onto the baking sheet. The patties should be about 1 inch thick. Brush the tops of the cakes with ghee. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip each patty, brush with ghee, and return to the oven. Bake an additional 10 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
Serve with a dollop of remoulade, a sprinkle of parley, and a wedge of lemon.