Salmon Fish Cakes with Lemon Caper Creme Fraishe

Amanda Love's Cooking      Delicious, Healthy Seasonal Recipes    from the "The Barefoot Cook" for October

Salmon Fish Cakes with Lemon Caper Crème Fraishe

Though I normally feature foods in these recipes that I can source in my local area, I have decided to make an exception this month as it is salmon season and salmon is a food worth making an exception for. 

This fish is especially nutrient dense as it contains high energy protein and rich fats that nourish our brain, glands and whole bodies. Late summer to early autumn is the time when the salmon return from the ocean to the rivers and streams from where they spawned.  This is the time when they are normally harvested and the time to eat this powerful fish fresh. 

 Due to overfishing and other poor environmental practices, we do not have the abundance of salmon we once did. When I lived in northern California, the old timers would talk about the days when the salmon returned to the rivers and were so thick that one could walk on their backs. Now the salmon have no where to return as so many redwood trees have been cut down which once held the soil in place.

The rivers are now filled with too much silt and soil for the salmon to spawn. We must treat our oceans, waterways and forests with respect if we are to be so fortunate as to continue consuming these and other fish.

Though this fish isn’t as plentiful as it once was, it still fairs well in certain parts of the globe. Alaska is one of those places. I special order my salmon from www.vitalchoice.com or buy it fresh at the market when it is available. Alaskan salmon is still some of the cleanest and most delicious.  Always buy wild salmon and avoid anything that is farm raised or that is labeled as “Atlantic Salmon”. You can assume that all salmon is farm raised unless labeled as “wild”. Farm raised salmon is usually fed a diet of genetically modified soybeans and is deficient in the good fats that wild salmon contain. Additionally, farm raised salmon usually contain food coloring to turn their skins pink as their diet is lacking in the rich foods that wild salmon normally eat. 

 Treat yourself to some wild salmon and rest assured that you are eating a vital, energizing food!

 Fish Cakes:

1 lb cooked fresh salmon or 2 small cans wild salmon

2 celery rib – minced

1 small red onion – minced

½ bunch dill or handful cilantro – minced

1 teaspoon – ground coriander

Small handful parsley - minced

Mayo – ½ cup (Safflower Mayo by Hain brand or homemade)

1 egg - beaten

Breadcrumbs (or ground up gluten free crackers) – 1 cup

2 T fresh Lemon Juice

CelticSea Salt – 1 t

Ground White Pepper – ½ t

4 Tablespoons Ghee, Coconut oil, Palm Oil or mixture of all

Poach fresh fish and flake into large chunks or if using canned fish, drain well and place in medium size mixing bowl. Gently mix with celery, onion, herbs,  mayo and 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Be careful not to break up salmon chunks too much. Carefully mix in egg, salt and pepper until mixture just clings together.

Divide mixture into 8 portions and shape into fat, round cakes. Arrange on baking sheet lined with wax paper; cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.     (Can be refrigerated up to 24 hours).
 
Put remaining breadcrumbs on plate and lightly dredge cakes. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Gently lay chilled fishcakes in skillet; pan-fry until outsides are crisp and browned, 4-5 minutes per side. Serve hot with dollop of Crème Fraishe.

Crème Fraishe:

1 cup Crème Fraishe or Sour Cream

Juice and zest from 1 lemon

1 T capers

2 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1 t dried

¼ t salt

Mix all ingredients together and dollop on top of fish cakes.

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