Salmon Cakes

Ingredients

• Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
• 3 (6-ounce) portions cooked salmon or 3 (6-ounce) cans salmon, drained well
• 1 1/2 cups cracker meal
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 rounded teaspoons Old Bay seasoning blend
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 20 blades fresh chives, snipped or chopped
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh dill, a handful, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• Salad greens
• Coarse salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise or reduced fat mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish

Directions

Heat a large, heavy skillet with 1 inch of frying oil over moderate heat.

Flake the cooked cooled salmon with a fork. Add cracker meal to the bowl and work through the fish with your hands. Add the eggs, seasoning, pepper, chives, dill, pepper sauce, and the zest of one lemon to the bowl. Combine the ingredients well with your hands. If the mixture is a little wet, add a bit more cracker meal. Form 3-inch patties of salmon cakes 1-inch thick. You should yield 8 to 10 cakes. Fry cakes until golden in a single layer 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towel lined plate.

Toss salad greens with coarse salt and the juice of the lemon you zested. Drizzle the greens with a little extra-virgin olive oil and re-toss the salad to coat.

Combine mayonnaise, chili sauce and relish in a small dish. To serve, place salmon cakes on a bed of baby greens, 2 cakes per person and top with chili mayonnaise sauce.