Is there a time when a dog needs a rain coat? I'm currently on the Petsmart website looking at them, while trying to find cheaper yet fancier ones on Amazon. And by "fancier" I mean more rugged, athletic, and butchier. No heart prints, please.
But now it's feeling as though I'm toeing the line between a regular dog owner and a fussy mydogwearsbootiesandsweaters dog owner. Which is not to say there's anything necessarily bad about being a fussier owner, I just don't know when to draw the line and maintain my reputation (and Felix's) as easy-going and sane.
Life is full of these choices. Thankfully, very little in the food world makes me question myself and my values as a human. Salmon has never ever made me feel anything less than awesome, and stuffing my face with salmon cakes? Possibly more of a super human feeling. Eating your fish and veggies (and butter) is always a good move.
So is baking your own salmon. Cori makes these wonderful salmon patties when we are short on time and want something tasty for dinner. Me? I found a recipe from Ina Garten that is equally as wonderful but requires an hour or so to make. Either way, both recipes are totally worth it but completely different animals.
To start, baking the salmon allow it to remain moist, tender, and flavorful. It also allows you time to prep the rest of your ingredients (chopping takes a sec). Plus, you know you aren't getting any weird "fish bits" (gag) because you can SEE there aren't any weird fish bits. I'm really freaked out by the fish bits, can you tell?
The amazing flavor comes from a combination of red pepper, capers, onion, celery, and seafood boil seasoning. The one I used can be found here from the Spice House, but you can easily use Old Bay. The flavor will be different, but equally as scrumptious. Trust. If you use the Shrimp and Crab boil blend, grind it down with a mortar and pestle. Because no one likes to eat whole cloves or peppercorns, ammIright?
Okay. I think we've settled on a rain jacket for the dog we can be confident putting on him. Pictures will definitely come.
Salmon Cakes
adapted from Ina Garten - that lovely, lovely lady
1/2 pound fresh salmon steaks
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided in half
1 small red onion, minced
4 stalks of washed and cleaned celery, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup minced Italian parsley (about a handful before mincing)
a palmful (approx 1 tablespoon) capers, drained
8-10 drops hot sauce (used Sriracha)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons crab boil seasoning (used the Shrimp and Crab boil seasoning from The Spice house, ground finely with a mortar and pestle, but Old Bay would also work)
1 cup panko bread crumbs, lightly toasted if preferred
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and ensure a rack is placed in the middle.
Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil. Drizzle the foil with olive oil and place the salmon on top, skin side down. Drizzle a little bit more olive oil on top of the salmon. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper and roasted for 15-20 minutes, until just cooked through. Remove the salmon from the oven and let rest for five minutes. Fold the aluminum foil around the salmon tightly and chill in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, place 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-low heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion, celery, red pepper, parsley, and capers. Saute 2-3 minutes and then add the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, crab boil seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, fresh ground pepper, and cook 10-12 minutes longer. The vegetables should be soft. Remove pan from the heat and let come to room temperature.
Remove the chilled salmon from the fridge and peel off the skin. Flake the salmon either with a fork or your hands into a large bowl. Add the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs. Mix together with a fork until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Fold in the vegetables and ensure everything is evening mixed.
Put a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan and let them get hot. Meanwhile, for the salmon mixture into approximately ten 3 oz patties (about 2.5 inches wide). Working in batches, fry the salmon cakes for 3-4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.