Test cook Erin McMurrer prepared this dish for host Bridget Lancaster on America’s Test Kitchen, Season 25.

Why This Works: We wanted our salmon cakes recipe to be simple to prepare, so we broke out our food processor. Pulsing small pieces of salmon allowed for more even chopping and resulted in small, discrete pieces of fish. We also found a way to ditch the egg and flour steps of the breading process in our salmon cakes recipe. Instead, we coated the salmon cakes with panko, which we also used to bind our salmon cakes.

Before You Begin: If buying a skin-on salmon fillet, purchase 9 ounces of fish. This will yield 8 ounces of fish after skinning. When processing the salmon it is ok to have some pieces that are larger than 1⁄4 inch. It is important to avoid overprocessing the fish.

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Serves 8 to 10

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE TARTAR SAUCE: 

  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish 
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and minced 
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar 
  • ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 
  • Salt and pepper 

FOR THE SALMON CAKES :

  • 1 (8-ounce) skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces 
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1⁄2 cup panko bread crumbs 
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill 
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 
  • 1 small shallot, minced 
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice 
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 
  • Salt and pepper 
  • Pinch cayenne pepper 
  • 2 ounces smoked salmon, finely chopped
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and minced 
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil 

TO PREPARE

TARTAR SAUCE
STEP ONE. Whisk all ingredients together in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.

SALMON CAKES
STEP TWO. Pulse salmon in food processor until there is an even mix of finely minced and coarsely chopped pieces of salmon, about 2 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

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STEP THREE. Combine 2 tablespoons panko, parsley, mayonnaise, shallot, lemon juice, mustard, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne in bowl. Gently fold in smoked salmon, capers, and processed salmon until just combined.

STEP FOUR. Spread remaining 1⁄2 cup panko in shallow dish. Scrape salmon mixture onto small baking sheet. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions and gently flatten each portion into 1-inch-thick patty. Carefully coat each cake with panko, then return to sheet.

STEP FIVE. Line large plate with triple layer of paper towels. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Gently place salmon cakes in skillet and cook, without moving, until golden brown and crisp on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain cakes briefly on paper towel-lined plate. Serve with tartar sauce.