RECIPE: Make South City Kitchen’s Smoked Salmon Cakes
We’ve been eating at South City Kitchen in Midtown for many years. The smoked salmon cakes are a favorite and unlike those served anywhere else. We particularly like the pickled fennel garnish and the pomegranate gastrique that come with the cakes. Will they share the recipes? — Sonya Shinholtz, Atlanta
“This dish was originally inspired as a fun way to utilize the belly trim as we portioned salmon for lunch service,” wrote executive chef John Spotkill when sharing the recipe. “As it grew in popularity, we ended up smoking whole sides of salmon as well as the trim to keep up. The pomegranate gastrique complements the dish with its sweet and sour notes, while the pickled fennel adds crunch and a touch more acid.”
The restaurant hot smokes its salmon after a three-hour cure of salt, granulated and brown sugar, the juice and zest of a lemon, lime and orange, molasses and bourbon. Spotkill recommends using your favorite smoked salmon when making this dish at home. The harissa that spices the cakes should be available on the condiment or international aisle of most grocery stores.
South City Kitchen’s Smoked Salmon Cakes
- 1 pound smoked salmon, skin off
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons harissa
- 1 tablespoon Creole mustard
- Zest and juice of 1/4 lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour, divided
- Vegetable oil for sauteing
- 1/2 cup Pomegranate Gastrique (see recipe)
- 1 cup Pickled Fennel (see recipe)
- Sprigs of watercress or arugula, for garnish
- Extra-virgin olive oil and chopped chives, for garnish
- Using your fingers, break salmon into small pieces and put in a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise, harissa, mustard, lemon zest and juice, and chives. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning, adding more harissa, mustard or lemon, if desired. Stir in 1/4 cup chickpea flour, cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
- When ready to cook, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to film the bottom of the skillet.
- Put remaining 1/4 cup chickpea flour on a plate. Remove salmon mixture from refrigerator and form into 8 cakes. Handle gently as the mixture is a loose one. Carefully dip each cake into the chickpea flour and turn to coat all sides. Brush off excess flour and arrange 4 cakes in hot skillet. Saute until cakes are crisp on both sides and heated through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with remaining salmon cakes, adding more oil to the skillet if needed, until all cakes are cooked.
- Put 2 tablespoons Pomegranate Gastrique in the center of each of 4 serving plates. Place 2 cakes on Gastrique and top each pair of cakes with 1/4 cup Pickled Fennel. Garnish with watercress or arugula and add a few drops of olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped chives.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving of 2 cakes with Pomegranate Gastrique and Pickled Fennel: 383 calories (percent of calories from fat, 45), 22 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 19 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 32 milligrams cholesterol, 1,107 milligrams sodium.Pomegranate Gastrique
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
- 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- In a medium saucepan, combine pomegranate juice, apple cider vinegar, sugar, red wine vinegar, honey and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until mixture reaches a very syrupy consistency, about 25 minutes, and reduces to just shy of 1 cup.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 2-tablespoon serving: 92 calories (percent of calories from fat, 2), trace protein, 22 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 200 milligrams sodium.Pickled Fennel
This recipe calls for the zest of half an orange. Because zesting half an orange can be a bit difficult, we suggest zesting the entire fruit and saving half the zest for another use.
- 1 fennel bulb (about 1/4 pound) fronds removed, end trimmed
- Zest and juice of 1/2 small orange, separated
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- Using a mandoline, shave fennel bulb into very thin slices and put into a small bowl. Add the zest.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, salt and coriander seeds. Add the orange juice. Bring mixture to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Pour through a strainer over reserved fennel and orange zest. Discard coriander seeds. Put a small weight, such as a small bowl, on top of the fennel to keep it submerged in the pickling liquid. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours before using.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1/4 cup: 60 calories (percent of calories from fat, 2), 1 gram protein, 14 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, trace total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 234 milligrams sodium.From the menu of ... South City Kitchen, 1144 Crescent Ave., Atlanta; 404-873-7358, southcitykitchen.com.
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