For the Love of Dog: Salmon Cakes with Dijon Aioli

This month Bon Appetit ran an article entitled The Incredible Egg where they had chefs from around the country share delicious and varied ways to use eggs. One of first recipes in this article to catch my eye was the one for The Creamiest Aioli which they dubbed "World's Greatest Mayo":

Creamy and light with just a hint of garlic, aioli is that perfect sauce that can go with just about anything from potatoes to bread to meat and fish. The Bon Appetit recipe got me thinking - what if I added some grainy dijon mustard to the sauce and served it with salmon? I have been wanting to try my hand at salmon cakes for some time because although I absolutely adore crab cakes, Paul has an aversion to all things shellfish. I figured swapping the crab for salmon would be the perfect way to get my crab cake fix without making him suffer.

This recipe did the trick. He said it was quite possibly the best dish that I have ever made. (Now that's not a compliment I receive everyday!) Give these a try. I am sure that they will satisfy all of the food critics in your household as well.

Dijon Aioli

(This recipe calls for raw egg yolk. If you will be serving this recipe to pregnant women, small children, the elderly, or people with compromised immune systems, skip the aioli and simply whisk 2 Tbsp of dijon mustard together with store bought mayonnaise.)

2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 large egg yolk
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp water
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch of cayenne pepper
fresh squeezed lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper

Whisk mustard, egg yolk, garlic, salt, and water in a small bowl to blend.

Whisking constantly, drizzle grapeseed oil into the bowl in a slow steady stream, until sauce begins to thicken. Once all of the grapeseed oil has been incorporated, drizzle olive oil into bowl in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly. After all oils have been incorporated, season with cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and black pepper to taste.

Salmon Cakes

1 lb salmon

3/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 large egg, beaten

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp chopped chives

1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest

Remove the skin from the salmon filet(s) and cut salmon into approximately 1/2 inch chunks:

Mix salmon, panko, mayo, egg, cayenne pepper, chives, and lemon zest until all ingredients have been incorporated:

Form the salmon mixture into small patties (as though you were making hamburgers):

Coat a large frying pan with non-stick spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add salmon cakes and cook until golden brown on the outside and cooked through in the center (about 3 to 4 minutes per side).