Another One for Salmon Lovers

I love salmon, but I tend to cook it the same way every time. Last year, I discovered a mustard- brown sugar combination that is so simple and perfectly delicious. Ever since then, I don't think I've cooked salmon any other way. This recipe is one in my mom's collection that I believe came from Cooking Light magazine. The bright Asian-influenced flavors are perfect for the warm weather months.

I made 2 pretty large salmon cakes with about 3/4 lb of salmon fillet. The recipe serves 4 and calls for 1.5 lbs of salmon. Try to get your salmon with the skin off. If you can't, take a sharp knife and cut the skin completely away from the flesh. Once the skin is off, chop the salmon into small pieces. The recipe says to "finely chop" but I found it hard to do this without making a big, mushy mess. Next time, I might try using a food processor so you could to that or just cut the fillet into small, manageable pieces.

Also chop up one or two shallots (one for two cakes, two for four cakes) and grate a tablespoon or two of fresh, peeled ginger (again, one tablespoon for two cakes, two tablespoons for four cakes). You'll also need one egg, lightly beaten. The recipe that makes four cakes calls for one egg, so if you're making just two cakes try to use only half the beaten egg. The egg is just what holds it all together, but if there is too much the mixture will be too runny. I made this mistake but it ended up being a quick fix with a couple tablespoons of breadcrumbs. In fact, you could add breadcrumbs anyway for a more dense salmon cake.

In a large bowl, combine the prepared salmon, shallots, ginger, egg, and bread crumbs if you so desire. Also to this add a couple good pinches of red pepper flakes. If you don't like the spice, you can omit this. Salt and pepper the mixture, too (about 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper). Form the mixture into however many patties you're making and place them in the freezer for 20 minutes or so just to firm them up a bit.

While the patties are in the freezer, make up your sesame mayonnaise. This isn't necessary- the patties are delicious without the sauce- but the flavors really complement each other. The sesame mayonnaise includes 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 2 scallions, thinly sliced, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil. My mom recommended to combine mayo and sour cream (half and half) and add 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds too. Stir to combine and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Once the patties are firm, cook them in an olive-oiled nonstick skillet over medium high heat for about 4-6 minutes per side. You want the sides to be browned and the center just cooked through. I served this up with a good dollop of prepared sesame mayo, an Asian spinach salad (spinach, dried chow mien noodles, shredded carrot, dried cherries, and Asian sesame dressing) and grilled bread (slice the bread thick, drizzle both sides with olive oil and salt, and grill). A citrusy drink or fruity white wine on the side is a great accompaniment, too.