One of my favorite childhood meals was salmon patties, and for years I made them exactly the way my mother did. She’d mix chopped onions with canned salmon in a bowl, shape the salmon into patties, then flour and fry them. They were really good but I couldn’t help but wonder: if salmon patties made from canned fish are good, fresh salmon patties must be great. I was right — no more canned salmon for me! I like to serve these with a simple creamy cocktail sauce of my own invention.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound fresh salmon fillet
kosher salt
ground black pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 scallions, diced
2 mini red peppers, diced
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons olive oil (for frying)

CREAMY COCKTAIL SAUCE
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup cocktail sauce

TOOLS
cutting board
chef’s knife
quarter sheet (13-inch x 9-inch) baking pan, lined with aluminum foil
large (5-quart) mixing bowl
fork
measuring cups and spoons
medium (10-inch) skillet

METHOD
1. Set oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper to taste and then place in prepared pan, skin side down. Bake until fish is flaky and cooked through—about 15 minutes. Depending on thickness, you may need to cook it for a few more minutes. Insert a fork into the thickest part of the fish to check for doneness. Meanwhile, dice scallions and mini peppers.
2. Leaving the skin behind, scrape salmon into bowl and break it apart into flakes with a fork. Mix in mayonnaise, diced scallions, diced mini peppers, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, and dill.
3. Return mixture to bowl, then shape it into 4-6 equally-sized patties.
4. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Fry patties in hot oil until golden brown—about 4 minutes per side.

NOTES & TIPS
• If the patties are too loose to hold their shape, place mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or so to firm them up before frying.

READY IN
45 minutes

YIELD
4 servings