Smoked Salmon Cakes on a Bed of Grilled Vegetables  

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2000

For grilled vegetables:
4 long green onions
2 Roma tomatoes, cut in half
4 slices of red onions, 1" thick
4 slices of eggplant, 1" thick
4 slices of zucchini, 1" thick
4 slices of yellow squash, 1" thick
1 red pepper cut into fourths
1 yellow pepper cut into fourths
1/4 cup olive oil
Essence

For salmon cakes:
1 cup mashed potatoes
2 cups flaked smoked salmon, about 1 pound
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 teaspoons capers
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
4 teaspoons Essence
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
1 egg, beaten, plus 2 tablespoons milk
Olive oil for frying
1/2 cup sizzled leeks

Essence

Preheat the gill. Season the vegetables with the olive oil and Essence. 
Place on the grill and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove from 
the grill. Julienne the eggplant, zucchini, squash and peppers. Separate 
the onions into rings. Leave the green onions and tomatoes whole. Season 
the vegetables with salt and pepper. Set aside. 

For the smoked salmon cakes: In a food processor, combine the potatoes, 
salmon, shallots, garlic, capers, Dijon, parsley, 1 to 2 teaspoons of 
Essence, lemon juice, salt and pepper, egg, cream, and 1/2 cup bread 
crumbs. Process for 20 seconds. Shape the mixture into 8 (1/4 cup per 
cake) cakes. Season the flour with 1 teaspoon of Essence and the bread 
crumbs with the remaining Essence. Dredge the cakes in the flour. Dip into 
the egg wash, removing any excess liquid. Dredge each cake in the seasoned 
breadcrumbs. In a large pan, heat the oil. When the oil is smoking hot, 
fry each cake on each side for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden, remove from 
the oil and drain on a paper-lined plate. Transfer to a serving plate and 
top with lemon dill sauce.

EMERIL’S CREOLE SEASONING (ESSENCE)
Recipe from New New Orleans Cooking by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, 
Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or 
container. Yield: about 2/3 cup

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes


For more of Emeril's recipes, go to Emerils.com.