Pen & Pantry: Crispy seared salmon cakes (and a few Lake Michigan salmon facts)

I wish I had the waders, the talent and the patience to fish for salmon. My Spring Lake friends can stand in the Platte River for hours and almost always come home with a fresh catch. 

I gave it a whirl a couple of years ago and failed miserably — catching nothing but long, heavy pieces of seaweed that I excitedly reeled in, hoping there would be a big Chinook looking back at me. It’s yet to happen, and therefore, sadly, I give up. 

I’ve decided to stick with cooking what my friends snag and, thankfully, that goes over pretty well. 

Before I share my tasty recipe, I’ll share some fun facts I dug up: 

• The largest salmon caught in Lake Michigan was a whopping 47.86-pound Chinook salmon, also known as a King Salmon, snagged by Luis Martinez in August 2021 near Big Sable Point, setting a new Michigan state record that had stood since 1978.
• Most Chinook salmon caught in Lake Michigan are wild: According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Great Lakes Mass Marking Program, wild-spawned Chinook salmon made up 71 percent of the Chinook catch for Michigan anglers in 2014-15. In Wisconsin waters, wild Chinooks made up 53 percent of the catch.
• Even ports that are not near spawning rivers rely mostly on wild fish: Grand Haven is a good example of a southern Michigan port that does not support natural reproduction. Volunteers with the Salmon Ambassadors program found that 74 percent of Chinook salmon caught in the Grand Haven area in 2015 were wild. More than 90 percent of the stocked fish caught in Grand Haven were stocked elsewhere.

Now for the recipe: These crispy patties are a perfect way to transform leftover salmon into a crispy, savory treat.

Ingredients

• 1 pre-cooked salmon filet
• ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs (divided: ¼ cup for the mix, ½ cup for coating)
• 2 eggs (divided: 1 for the mix, 1 for the wash)
• ¼ cup finely chopped peppers, red and yellow
• 2 tsp of minced or freshly grated ginger 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Butter or oil for pan frying

Directions

1. Prep the salmon base: In a large mixing bowl, shred the pre-cooked salmon using two forks until finely flaked.
2. Mix the filling: Add the chopped onions and peppers, ¼ cup of breadcrumbs, and one egg to the bowl. Mix thoroughly until the ingredients are evenly distributed and the mixture holds together.
3. Form the patties: Scoop out approximately 3 Tablespoons of the mixture (a large cookie scoop works great for this). Gently press and shape the scoop into a flat patty. Repeat until all the mixture is used.
4. The breading station:
   • Bowl 1: Whisk the second egg.
   • Bowl 2: Place the remaining ½ cup of breadcrumbs.
5. Coat the patties: Dip each salmon patty into the whisked egg to coat completely. Then, transfer to the breadcrumbs. Lightly press the panko into the patty to ensure a thick, even crust that sticks.
6. Fry to golden perfection: Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat with a little butter or oil. Once the pan is hot, add the patties. Fry for 2-4 minutes per side until the exterior is a deep golden brown and the center is heated through.

For best results

• Firmness: If the mixture feels a bit loose when forming patties, let it chill in the fridge for 10 minutes before breading; this helps the binders set.
• The "sizzle" test: Ensure the oil is hot before adding the cakes. If it’s not hot enough, the breadcrumbs will absorb the oil and become greasy rather than crunchy. To tell if oil is hot enough for frying without a thermometer, use the wooden spoon/chopstick test (steady bubbles mean ready, rapid bubbles mean too hot, few/no bubbles mean not hot enough).

— Heather VanDyke covers northern Ottawa County for the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at hvandyke@ottawanewsnetwork.org.