Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Salmon Cakes with Horseradish Thyme Mayonnaise

There is nothing like cooking with fresh herbs for the absolute maximum in taste. For those of you who grow herbs in your backyard or container garden, you already know what great flavor enhancers these are.  If you're considering growing them (something I strongly encourage), but are not quite sure where to start or which ones to plant, I recommend these six in my personal order of use/importance: chives, thyme, parsley, tarragon, dill, rosemary (alternately I'd say cilantro).

Chives for their versatility are always a must, but it may surprise you to see thyme ahead of parsley on my list.  I use thyme almost daily. This is one versatile and hardy plant: it happily tolerates heat and drought, an be propagated by seeds, cuttings or root division, is a good source of iron, and tea made from dried leaves is said to treat the common cold.

I divide it every year to share with friends and currently have three pots of it growing in the container garden, and another very large plant in the ground.  This little wonder herb enhances a wide variety of foods, makes an excellent flavored vinegar, is a must when making your own stock, and adds a special freshness to a salad when the small leaves are stripped from a stem and tossed in with the greens. One of my favorite uses is in this recipe for salmon cakes.  It is contained both in the cakes and the accompanying sauce, so they complement each other nicely and offer a fresh taste not found in other salmon cake recipes that do not rely upon fresh herbs.
Salmon Cakes with Horseradish Thyme Mayonnaise

For the Salmon Cakes:
2 cups loosely packed crumbled cooked salmon
1/2 cup panko
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 drops Tabasco
Pinch of Old Bay Seasoning
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg, beaten to blend

For the Horseradish Thyme Mayonnaise:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 drops Tabasco
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 tablespoons butter

Mesclun spring mix lightly tossed with a mild vinaigrette

Directions:
Combine first 10 ingredients in medium bowl and stir gently to blend. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix in egg. Shape salmon mixture into 6 patties, about 3/4 inch thick. Arrange on plate.

Combine 3/4 cup mayonnaise, lemon juice, Tabasco, horseradish and 2 1/2 teaspoons thyme in small bowl. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. (Salmon cakes and sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap separately and refrigerate.)

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add salmon cakes and saute until brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to platter. Serve with on top of a bed of  lightly dressed, mixed greens, and top salmon cakes with sauce.

11 comments:

Vanessa Coppa said...

We eat salmon pretty often over here and I will definitely make these. They look and sound delicious!!

From the Kitchen said...

Boy do these look delicious! Our herbs are thriving in this heat. Wish I were doing the same!

Best,
Bonnie

Jo said...

Oh I'm gonna have a go at making these tonight. I have some smoked salmon and might have a go at making them with that.

They look and siund so yummy!

Thanks for the recipe.

Jo

Babs said...

Patti, You come up with the best recipes. I love salmon patties and the sauce sounds really good. I have some lemon thyme in a pot. Maybe I could use that and cut back on the lemon juice?
Hope you aren't having high temps in MO. It's almost 9pm and it's 95 deg.
Babs

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

Babs, I think I'd be more inclined to try the lemon thyme in the sauce than in the salmon cakes. In this case, I think I'd opt for the dried thyme, say 1/2 teaspoon if you don't have fresh. I've not tried this recipe with lemon thyme, so I'd hate for you to try it and have it not turn out well.

It was much cooler today, with a high around 95. Yesterday it was 103 with a heat index of 115 and I was out running errands! Ugh!

Pam - @diy Design Fanatic said...

Looks like something my husband and daughter would love!

~~louise~~ said...

I find this recipe to be surprisingly refreshing Pattie. I'm sure it's the dressing and the fact that It it makes a perfect patio meal. Marion loves Salmon!!!

Thanks for sharing...

My parsley is out of control!!!

Lady Behind The Curtain said...

Thanks so much for sharing your recipe with me at Cast Party Wednesday. I hope you will come back tomorrow for another party filled with GREAT RECIPES!
Thanks,
I hope to see you there!

jellybelly said...

Visiting from Weekday Potluck!


The Twerp and I

Anonymous said...

Yum! Salmon cakes sound so good and healthy! Thanks for dropping your link at the Weekday Potluck!

Chari at Happy To Design said...

Hi Pattie...

Oooh...I love salmon and I'm always looking for recipes to fix it differently! Your recipe for salmon cakes and horseradish-thyme mayonnaise sounds heavenly! I sooo want to try this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing it with us for the Sunday Favorites party this week!

Warmest wishes,
Chari