As I have continued on with my Asian food studies, I came across an interesting recipe that I wanted to try. It contains many of the flavors I have been using lately, but also incorporates some interesting twists. This is a healthy meal that presents beautifully and would make a wonderful display at a luncheon or dinner party. You could also make it appetizer size as a fun starter!
The base of the dish is a salmon patty set upon some delicate, fresh butter lettuce leaves. A sauce gently tops the patty to give it some zest and moisture, made from Greek yogurt and herbs. Then comes the fun part! Some thin slices of fresh mango and English cucumber come next. The dish is finished off with crispy sweet potato strings, crumbled goat cheese, toasted chopped cashews and some fresh sliced radishes for a bit of crunch and color.
The recipe has several steps most of which you can do ahead. I prepped all of the ingredients, made the sauce and the patties, refrigerating everything until needed. The only thing I had a little trouble with was the sweet potato strings. The first time I followed the recipe and made the julienne strips with the 1/8″ blade. It was a bit small so the next time I used the 3/16″ julienne blade, which was better. The coconut oil seemed to soak into the potato strings, so I thought I would need a bit more. However, once they started cooking, the oil oozed out again and it became an oily mess. My second try, I used less oil and separated the strings onto two baking sheets covered in parchment. I also used a hotter oven and the results were much better. I cooked the strings for about 40 minutes and then let them drain on paper towels to crisp up. Keep a close eye on them at the end though, because once they start to brown they can burn quickly!
I found the recipe I adapted while scouting around for new ideas on a blog I recently came across, called Half Baked Harvest. I also saw several other things on there that I may want to try, as they all looked super yummy. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to do all of the cooking I want to do!
Salmon Patty Stacks with Sweet Potato Strings
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium sweet potato
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon spicy curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 lb. salmon, skin and pin bones removed
- 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons thai red curry paste
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 8 large leaves butter lettuce
- 1/2 English cucumber, sliced lengthwise into 1/2″ strips
- 1/2 small mango, skin removed, sliced lengthwise into 1/2″ strips
- 1/4 cup raw cashews, lightly toasted & chopped
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 3-4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- In a small bowl mix together the yogurt, mint, pepper flakes, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Slice the sweet potatoes into 1/8 inch thick strips or use a mandolin slicer with a 3/16″ julienne blade and do the same. Place the potatoes in a bowl toss them with the melted coconut oil, curry powder, salt and pepper. Toss well. Divide the potatoes between two parchment covered baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, toss, and then bake another 15-25 minutes more or until just beginning to brown & crisp on the edges. Remove to a paper towel covered plate.
- Meanwhile add the salmon to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it’s somewhat ground. You can also chop the salmon very finely with a sharp knife. Remove and add the chopped salmon to a bowl with the Panko bread crumbs, parmesan, thai red curry paste, fish sauce, ginger and garlic. Mix with a spoon until just combined. Form into 4 equally sized burgers. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Cook burgers on each side until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- To assemble the wraps place each salmon patty on a couple leaves of lettuce. Add a dollop of the minted yogurt, a few slices of cucumber + mango. Top with the crispy sweet potato strings, a sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese and a few chopped cashews. Scatter some sliced radishes around the plate.
- You can prepare the sauce, toppings (except the sweet potato strings) and salmon patties several hours ahead. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
- To make as a starter, use smaller lettuce leaves from the inner part of the head and make mini patties.
(click here) for printable recipe