Salmon feta cakes

Serves 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

I am not typically a big fan of ‘cakes’ made from seafood; I typically think it takes perfectly good fish/crab and wastes it.  But, I really like these salmon feta cakes; I think the difference is that the pieces of fish are larger, and they pair well with the feta.  This is a quick recipe that works well warm or at room temperature; I often make it for parties.  The cakes can be made smaller (~2 inches wide) to be used as appetizers, or full sized (~3 inches wide)  to be served as a main dish. Be careful not to overcook them - this is easier with full-sized patties, in my opinion.

zest from 1 lemon

⅓ cup panko bread crumbs

1 pound of salmon, skin removed and cut into ~1 inch cubes

6 ounces of a block feta (this should come from sheep’s milk and NOT be “pre-crumbled”), cut into ~½ inch cubes

1 egg

1/2t fresh thyme leaves

2T olive oil

Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Combine the lemon zest, panko crumbs, thyme, and salmon and feta cubes with the egg in a bowl.  Mix gently - do not over mix or break up the feta. The mixture will be substantially more ‘wet’ than a burger - do not add additional panko crumbs to compensate - this will just make for a tough, and less flavorful cake.  

Add olive oil to the preheated pan. Form the patties by hand, compacting them slightly as you form them.  Add to the oil and leave until browned on the first side, approximately 3 minutes, flip, and brown the otherside, another 2 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Substitutions:  

For gluten free, make crumbs from your favorite gluten free cracker by adding them to a food processor and pulsing the processor 5-10 times. Alternatively, gluten-free panko crumbs are available many places.