I spotted this recipe for salmon cakes with dijon mayonnaise sauce on Bon Appetit and thought it sounded delicious. But way too complicated. With too many steps and pots to clean. It involved baking fresh salmon in the oven, and then whipping up your own mayonnaise. While homemade mayonnaise is wonderful, it’s also extra effort, and doesn’t keep in the fridge as well as the store-bought version. So I came up with an easier version that requires far less time and energy. And fewer pots to clean. Still tastes great though.
I’ve used canned salmon (so you don’t have to cook it separately) and store bought mayonnaise, gussied up to taste brighter and fresher. And, of course, made the entire recipe smaller, so it makes four cakes instead of 12.
I also swapped the scallions for onions (because that’s what I had), and dried dill instead of fresh (didn’t want to buy a whole bunch for one recipe). And, then used lemon juice instead of zest (zest would be fine too).
Another note, since this is bound together with potatoes instead of bread crumbs, it’s gluten-free (and would also be OK for Passover).
It’s an easy way to dress up pantry/standard fridge ingredients into something special.
Incidentally, if you want to use fresh salmon, brush it with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes, until it is opaque.
Dijonnaise Salmon Cakes
Ingredients
Dijon Mayonnaise
- 3 heaping T mayo
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- Generous pinch dried dill
- Two squeezes lemon juice (about 1/4 tsp)
- Drizzle olive oil (about 1/4 tsp)
Salmon Cakes
- 1 small potato, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/4 pound canned salmon (about 1/3 of the can)
- Olive oil for cooking (about 2 T)
- Salt to taste (divided)
- 1 medium egg (or just the yolk from a large one)
- 2/3 tsp dried dill
- 1 T plus 1 tsp chopped scallions or onions
- 2/3 tsp lemon juice
- Ground black pepper or red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
Mayo
- Mix the mayo ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Salmon cakes
- Place the potato chunks in a one quart saucepan, fill with water, add salt to taste, and bring to a boil. This should take about ten minutes. Let the potatoes cook another ten minutes or so, until tender. Drain, mash them up, and set aside in a bowl.
- Add the salmon, egg, dill, onion, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the potatoes.
- Then add half the mayo mixture.
- Stir that all together with a large spoon. Use the same spoon to scoop out cakes onto a plate. Cover the plate and let chill for an hour or so (this will help them stick together).
- Form the cakes into four patties about half an inch thick.
- Heat the oil in a medium skillet, on medium-low flame. Cook the salmon, about 5 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Serve with the remaining dijon mayo sauce.
More Salmon Recipes
Slightly sweet, kicked up with cumin, mustard and paprika. This salmon recipe is easy, bright, and full of flavor.
Pan Fried Salmon with Nectarine Salsa
A fresh twist on the usual salsa, this one has juicy, sweet nectarines, tangy lime, and slightly spicy jalapeño. Perfect for a warm spring or summer day.
Smoked Salmon Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
A silky, smooth sauce with just a touch of cream. This feels (and tastes) far more indulgent than it actually is. Works with either smoked salmon or leftover cooked salmon.
Salmon in Foil Packet with Potatoes
An easy no-pot meal. Just wrap it in foil, and then toss the dirty wrap away. Slice the potatoes, wrap it all up, and bake.