A few days before we left for Hawaii, I did a fridge clean out, like I always do before we leave for a trip. aka. multiple stir fry's with weird combinations of vegetables for a week. There were a few other misc food items that I needed to use up - a bunch of chives, some Greek yogurt, two lemons, and a bag of potatoes.
I noticed that Salmon was on sale at the grocery store, and I always like to eat as much salmon as I can while it's in season. I had the idea to try and make a salmon potato cake similar to a salt cod fritter. Salt cod fritters are essentially bits of salted cod mixed with mashed potatoes and spices and then deep fried. They are absolutely incredible. I knew that to make this recipe work, I would need to prepare the salmon in a way that produced a salty and minimally flavored fish. I used a new cooking method to prepare the fish, one that I have been experimenting with for a bit. It's a quick poach in broth, allowing enough time for the salty broth to absorb and make the fish more moist and flavorful. I decided to coat the salmon cakes in breadcrumbs to give them a nice crunch. The turned out so flavorful and delicious. I was sad that I had only made 7. I paired them with a garlic and chive yogurt sauce that was perfect which has been one of the many sauces that I made this year in my new blender.
Aside from how amazing the salmon cakes were, can I just take a second to talk to you guys about my blender? I have been long-time coveting a Vitamix. 10 years coveting. I used to own a red Kitchen Aid blender that never really did a good job. I then dropped the container on the ground and it cracked. Instead of buying a new blender, I just continued to use a cracker blender for the past 4 years - cursing every time it leaked on the counter. A few months ago, the kind folks at Vitamix sent me an A2500 Vitamix blender.
This blender has changed my life. Since owning it, I've been busy making nut butter, soups, sauces, and smoothies. Everything my last blender couldn't do, this one can do a million times better. It's powerful, sturdy, sleek, and easy to look at, but most importantly, it can actually make nut butter!!! Creamy, smooth nut butter. The blender offers three settings for smoothies, soups, and smoothies. It has a built-in digital timer, variable speed controls, and a pulse mode. I don't think I have ever been so in love with a small kitchen appliance.
*This post was created in partnership with Vitamix. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep the Flourishing Foodie delicious. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.
POTATO SALMON CAKES WITH A GALIC AND CHIVE YOGURT SAUCE
makes 7 cakes
prep time: 10 minutes
cooking time: 30 minutes
1 large Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup broth
1/2 lb salmon, skin removed
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1 cup oil
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped chives
2 garlic cloves
juice from half lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Boil the potatoes until soft. So soft, they fall apart when poked with a fork. Drain the potatoes. Place them into a large bowl. Mash until fluffy.
In a small frying pan, bring the broth to simmer. Add the salmon and cover. Simmer for 4 minutes, flip and continue to cook until the broth has absorbed and the salmon is flaky. Remove from the heat and set to the side.
Place the salmon in a bowl and flake it into small pieces with a fork. Add it to the potatoes along with the garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together.
In a frying pan, heat the oil on medium-high.
In a small bowl, beat the egg. In a separate bowl, add the breadcrumbs.
Using a quarter cup measure, scoop the potato salmon mixture into your hands and flatten into a disk. Dip the patty into the egg and then coat with bread crumbs. Continue forming the patties until all of the mix has been used up.
Fry the patties for 2 - 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
While the patties are cooking, place all of the sauce ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth.
Serve the salmon cakes warm with sauce on the side.
