vicious fishes

So, Larry and I have been eating a pescetarian diet the past few weeks - and I just realized that there are no seafood recipes on Vicious Dishes. I'm starting off with a good one - easy, delicious, summery, and definitely good enough to serve to company.

Larry and I both love seafood, but don't eat it as often as we should because of lack of availability - I'm sorry to say, but buying fish at our local grocery store would be a recipe for food poisoning. But over the weekend, we were heading home from a hike, and stopped at Wegmans (which has an excellent fish market) to stock up on fresh tuna steaks and salmon fillets.

I love salmon, but often find that it is a "safe" choice on many restaurant menus - meaning it's somewhat bland and lacks flavor and sophistication. Not so with these salmon cakes which are summery and delicious and creamy. They don't dry out while cooking and go quite well with a tomato salad.

Summer Salmon Cakes
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine
2 servings

• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 pound skinless salmon fillet, chopped
• 8 Ritz or saltine crackers, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, mustard, cayenne, salt, and pepper.

Add salmon, crackers, and zucchini, and mix well.

Form mixture into 4 (3-inch) patties. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot, then cook salmon cakes for 3 minutes on each side.