Restaurant Worthy Salmon Cakes with Wasabi Vinegar Sauce

I have made plenty of things that are restaurant worthy throughout my time in the kitchen.  A few are appetizers or meals, but almost all of these items are baked goods; most recently the bunny cake, but also the prima donna brownies, the highly versatile and kid-friendly sugar cookiecake bars, any variation of the fruit pie, and of course the cookie dough brownies among other things that have yet to be blogged about (toffee, pumpkin bread, peanut butter balls, the kit kat kake, and more!).  With all of those recipes, I re-imagine someone else's reciped (hence the name of my blog), but never invent them completely by myself.

Times are a changing, my friends.  I invented these salmon cakes and am convinced that I could sell them for a large profit at our downtown restaurants.  Fresh Alaskan salmon caught by yours truly, a tiny bit of soy, a hint of curry, a sprinkle of scallion, a little wasabi, and sandwiched between sprouts and peas.  What a winning combination.  I am really proud of myself, to be honest.  If there were a burger contest tonight, these cakes would be the winners by a long shot.  They are like the Seabiscuit of creative burgers--first the surprise winner, and then the favorite all others want to beat.  They are that good.

wasabi, hint of ginger, rice wine vinegar sauce

salmon cakes before cooking

salmon cakes after cooking...I want to eat one all over again......

sandwich thin (so as to leave all the flavor to the cake, but provide a vessel for eating), ginger-wasabi sauce and a layer of snow peas

add the salmon cake

top with sprouts

add sauce to the other sandwich thin and serve with roasted veggies of your choice (I used yukon golds, carrots, and sweet potatoes)

EAT AND ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!

Salmon Cakes and Wasabi Sauce:

For the salmon cakes....

• 1 pound fillet of wild Alaskan salmon (if you use this recipe, you are absolutely 100% never allowed to used canned, farmed, or Atlantic salmon)
• 1-2 teaspoons of curry powder, divided
• 2-3 scallions (mostly the white part, but some of the green), finely diced
• 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs, plus more for coating
• 3-4ish tablespoons of plain greek yogurt
• 1 large egg
• 1 healthy glug of low sodium soy sauce (probably about 1 tablespoon)
• fresh ground pepper to taste
• a little bit of olive oil
• sandwich thins
• snow peas
• sprouts
  

1. Make a tinfoil boat for your salmon.  (If the skin is still on, use regular tinfoil because the skin will stick to it after cooking and you can just use a spatula to separate the cooked fish from the skin.  If it is skinless, use nonstick tinfoil and even go so far as to spray with Pam.)
2. Lightly coat fish with olive oil.
3. Sprinkle curry powder on top and crack a little fresh ground pepper too.
4. I cooked the salmon in our tagine on the stove, but I realize not everyone is blessed to have this lovely device (go buy one now!).  Otherwise, bake in the oven at 375 degrees until just cooked through.  DON'T OVERCOOK!
5. Scoop the salmon into a bowl and break apart with a fork.
6. Add the scallions, egg, bread crumbs, soy sauce, and pepper.  Add a teaspoon or so of curry powder--more or less depending on your preference.  Mix thoroughly until nearly smooth.
7. Form into patties.
8. On a separate plate, sprinkle a layer of panko.  Take each patty and press both sides into the panko.  Press so that the panko sticks to both sides.  (They don't need to be completely covered.)
9. Heat a large nonstick skillet with a touch of oil over medium high heat.
10. Once hot, place the patties in the skillet and cook until golden brown and a little crispy (about 7-10 minutes) on each side.

For the wasabi sauce....

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• a few dashes of ground ginger
• 1ish tablespoon of wasabi paste (more or less depending on taste preference)
• a few twists on the pepper grinder  

1. Stir all the liquids together and the ground ginger.  Mix.  Add the wasabi.  Add the sugar and the pepper.  Mix again until smooth.

For assembly....

1. Toast your sandwich thins.
2. Coat the bottom thin with the wasabi sauce.  (A teaspoon worked well to spread.)
3. Place a layer of peas on the thin.
4. Add your salmon cake.
5. Top with sprouts.
6. Coat the top thin with the wasabi sauce.  Cover.
7. EAT AND RELISH IN THE DELICIOUSNESS!