A good salmon cake delivers rich flavor and tender texture

A good salmon cake delivers rich flavor and tender texture; the best veers away from flavor-muting binders at all costs.

We used a food processor to chop salmon into a mix of both fine and larger pieces for a varied and not overly dense texture. A single slice of bread provided just enough binding, and a combination of shallot, parsley, mustard, and capers complemented the salmon; a bit of mayonnaise ensured our patties would stay moist.

Broiling the patties made them easy to flip and kept them from overcooking. We arranged them on one end of a baking sheet, leaving plenty of room for a broiler-friendly vegetable asparagus to cook simultaneously. A quick lemon and parsley sauce added a touch of class.

Be sure to use raw salmon here; do not substitute cooked or canned salmon. Don’t overprocess the salmon, or the cakes will have a pasty texture. Lay the salmon cakes close together on the baking sheet so that the asparagus has a little extra space for browning.

Herbed Salmon Cakes With Asparagus
and Lemon-Herb Sauce

Servings: 4. Start to finish: 45 minutes

Lemon-Herb Sauce:

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 scallion, minced

2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

Salmon Cakes and
Asparagus:

1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces

1 pound skinless salmon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 shallot, minced

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and minced

Salt and pepper

1 pound asparagus, trimmed

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

For the lemon-herb sauce: Combine all ingredients in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

For the salmon cakes and asparagus: Adjust oven rack 3 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Pulse bread in food processor to coarse crumbs, about 4 pulses, then transfer to large bowl; you should have about 3/4 cup crumbs. Working in 2 batches, pulse salmon in food processor until coarsely ground, about 4 pulses; transfer to bowl with bread crumbs and toss to combine.

Whisk shallot, mayonnaise, parsley, mustard, capers, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¹/8 teaspoon pepper together in small bowl, then gently fold into salmon mixture until well combined. Divide salmon mixture into 4 equal portions and gently pack into 1-inch-thick patties.

Place salmon cakes on 1 side of rimmed baking sheet. Toss asparagus with oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and spread in single layer on empty side of sheet. Broil until cakes are lightly browned on both sides, barely translucent at center, and register 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), and asparagus is lightly browned and tender, 8 to 12 minutes, flipping cakes and turning asparagus halfway through broiling.

Remove sheet from oven, transfer salmon and asparagus to platter, and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with lemon-herb sauce.

Nutrition information per serving of salmon cake: 374 calories; 208 calories from fat; 23 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 71 mg cholesterol; 634 mg sodium; 15 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 27 g protein.