Working outside, trying to wring the last few minutes of sunlight out of the day, usually means that dinner has to be an easy, quick affair.  I find that these October days when sunset seems to come earlier and earlier, are the hardest ones to get dinner on the table before 7:30.  Here’s an easy recipe that can be put together in the time it takes for rice to cook.

For this recipe, I was out of green onions, so used a shallot, and for the herb, I used some hardy Greek basil leaves, torn.

Click here for printable version.

Ingredients:

2 – 213 gr tins of Sockeye Salmon

1 egg

a handful of cilantro, or basil – chopped (in a pinch, use parsley)

2 green onions, chopped thinly (or a shallot, finely chopped)

¼ c fine dry breadcrumbs

1 lime, zested & juiced

1 t Tabasco sauce

½ t salt

vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg.

Add in the chopped herbs & onion.

Drain the salmon.

Add the salmon (bones, skin & all) to the egg mixture.

Add in the breadcrumbs, lime zest, lime juice, Tabasco & salt.

Mix with a fork, or your hands until well combined. 

This will make just about 500 grams of salmon mix.

Using a ⅓ cup measure, scoop out salmon and form into a cake about 3”x ½”.

You should have 6 cakes of equal size.

Heat the oil over medium – high heat, in a skillet large enough to hold all six cakes, or use two skillets.

Gently fry the cakes over medium heat until browned, about 4 minutes.

Using a spatula, turn the cakes and continue to cook for another 4 minutes.

By now, if you put your rice on to cook first, it will be ready to serve with the salmon cakes.

All you need to complete the dish is a simple salad.

If you like, serve the salmon cakes with a dollop of mayonnaise.  If you want to enhance the zestiness, stir a little chipotle powder into the mayonnaise before serving.