Old Timber Outdoors
A raw salmon fillet on ice
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Salmon fillet

Salmon Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce

Hand-chopped fresh salmon bound with egg and panko, pan-fried crisp, and served with a cool lemon dill sauce.

Serves
4
Hands-on
40 min
Total
1 hr
Skill
Some experience

Cooks on: Stovetop · Lunch, Dinner

Ingredients

  • 1¼ lbSalmon fillet, skin and pin bones removed, finely chopped
  • 1Eggs, beaten
  • 1Shallot, minced
  • 1Lemon, zested, then halved
  • 1 tspSalt
  • ½ tspBlack pepper, ground
  • ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs, divided
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, divided
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil, for frying
  • ½ cup plain yogurt or sour cream

You'll need

  • Large skillet, ideally cast iron
  • Stovetop
  • Instant-read thermometer

Contains

Fish, Egg, Gluten, Dairy. The binder uses a raw egg, and mayonnaise is made with egg. Panko and mayonnaise brands can contain soy. Check the labels.

Method

  1. Chop the salmon with a sharp knife into a coarse mince, about the size of small peas.
  2. In a bowl, mix the salmon, egg, ½ cup of the panko, the mayonnaise, mustard, shallot, 1 tbsp of the dill, the lemon zest, salt and pepper.
  3. Shape 8 patties about ¾ inch thick and press both sides into the remaining ¼ cup panko. Refrigerate them on a plate for 20 minutes to firm up.
  4. Stir the yogurt or sour cream with the remaining dill and the juice of half the lemon. Refrigerate the sauce until serving.
  5. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Fry the cakes in two batches if they do not all fit with space between them, 4 to 5 minutes per side, until deep golden and the center reads 160°F. That is above the 145°F needed for fish, because the cakes hold raw egg.
  6. Serve hot with the sauce and the other lemon half cut into wedges.

When it's done: 145°F

Federal guidance: fish 145°F. These cakes are bound with raw egg, so cook them until the center reads 160°F, the federal temperature for egg dishes.

If it goes wrong

Cakes falling apart
Chill them the full 20 minutes and turn them only once, gently.
Brown outside, cool center
The heat was too high. Lower it to medium and give them longer, or finish them 5 minutes in a 375°F oven.
Mushy texture
The salmon was chopped too fine. Keep some small chunks.

Leftovers. Serve right away. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F.