Coastal Mains
Salmon and Corn Cakes with Creamed Corn Tartar Sauce
The Strategy:
This recipe brilliantly rescues leftover cooked salmon by transforming it into a deeply textured, highly sophisticated appetizer or light main. By heavily binding the flaked fish with rich mayonnaise, sharp Dijon, and sweet kernels of fresh corn, then aggressively dredging the patties in golden cornbread crumbs, you achieve an incredible, shattering crust when pan-fried. Serving these piping hot cakes under a heavy dollop of bright, highly acidic creamed corn tartar sauce elevates a simple leftover into an undeniably luxurious, high-end coastal dish.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked salmon, flaked
- 2 garlic scapes, chopped, about 2 tablespoons (you can substitute with 2 garlic cloves, minced)
- ¼ small red onion, peeled and finely diced, about 2 tablespoons
- ½ small orange bell pepper (or red or yellow), diced, about ¼ cup
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- kernels from 2 cooked ears of corn, about 1 cup (reserve 3 tablespoons for sauce)
- ½ cup fresh cornbread crumbs, and 1 ½ cups for coating
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- olive oil for sautéing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- juice from 1 large lemon, about 3 tablespoons
- ¼ small red onion, peeled and finely diced, about 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
Instructions
- Add the salmon into a bowl.
- Add the garlic, 2 tablespoons diced red onion, bell pepper, and 2 tablespoons each of dill and parsley.
- Add the corn kernels (reserving 3 tablespoons for the sauce) and ½ cup of the cornbread crumbs (reserving 1 ½ cups for coating).
- Season with salt and pepper.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together ¼ cup mayonnaise, egg, and mustard.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl and toss to combine.
- Spread the remaining cornbread crumbs onto a shallow plate.
- Use an ice cream scoop to form balls of the salmon mixture and drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. For bite-size cakes, use a 1-inch scoop. For meal-sized cakes, use a 3-inch scoop.
- Flatten the balls into patties.
- Dredge each patty in the crumbs and return to the baking sheet.
- Place the cakes in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the tartar sauce: Chop the reserved 3 tablespoons corn kernels. Stir together ½ cup mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, chopped corn kernels, 2 tablespoons red onion, and 1 tablespoon dill. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet to about 375°. You want just enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the cakes from the freezer and carefully place into the hot oil.
- Cook until the bottom of the cake is golden brown. Use a spatula to flip and cook until golden on the other side. The amount of time will differ depending on the size of the cake. It will only be a few minutes for bite-size cakes and about 5 to 7 minutes total for larger cakes.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of the sauce. Garnish with fresh dill.
Thing to Note
✦
Leftover Fish: If you cook more fish than you can eat at one sitting, don’t despair; there’s lots of things you can do with cooked fish!
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The Heart of the Table
Serving a massive platter of golden, deeply crusty salmon cakes immediately signals a relaxed but highly intentional dining experience. The familiar comfort of a pan-fried cake, paired with the sophisticated brightness of the lemon-dill tartar sauce, encourages guests to linger around the table, passing the sauce bowl back and forth while enthusiastically enjoying a distinctly coastal, elegant lunch.
Neighborly Grace
- THE PRESENTATION: Arrange the heavily crusted, golden-brown salmon cakes on a long wooden or slate board, slightly overlapping them. Violently dollop each hot cake with a thick spoonful of the bright white creamed corn tartar sauce, and shower the entire board with vibrant green sprigs of fresh dill.
- THE POUR: The rich, fried cornbread crust and the heavy mayonnaise-based tartar sauce demand a wine with laser-focused acidity to cut straight through the fat. A fiercely chilled, bone-dry Chablis or a razor-sharp, highly effervescent Crémant de Bourgogne perfectly balances the sweet corn and rich salmon.
- THE VIBE: Sophisticated, breezy weekend lunches. This is the meal you execute on a bright Saturday afternoon, served on the patio under massive umbrellas, demanding an atmosphere of relaxed, unpretentious coastal luxury.
