Salmon Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce
Crisp outside, tender inside, and loaded with omega-3.
Time
2 hours
30 min prep
Serves
5
Makes 10 cakes (serving = 2 cakes)
Autoimmunity
8/10
Fits most autoimmune protocols
Steady Energy
9/10
Steady
Moderate heat. Contains: Egg, High FODMAP, Histamine, Sulfur (thiols)
- Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)
- Choline
- Myrosinase
- Dietary nitrate
- Quercetin
- Olive polyphenols
- Anthocyanins
Ready when you are
Let’s get cooking
Gather your ingredients, then follow one step at a time with built-in timers.
Ingredients
Salmon cakes
- 1 lb wild salmon
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup minced parsley
- 1/2 cup finely diced carrot
- 1/2 cup sliced scallion greens
- 4 tbsp ghee, divided
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- salt
- black pepper
- 3/4 cup diced red onion
- 1 1/2 cups diced celery
- 1/4 cup avocado oil mayo
- 1 tsp capers
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
- 1/4 tsp ground bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 1/2 cup cassava flour (or crushed cassava chips)
Lemon dill sauce
- 1/4 cup avocado oil mayo (or coconut yogurt)
- 2 tbsp fresh dill
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Optional
- 1/2 tsp soy-free Worcestershire (optional)
Steps
- 1
Slow roast the salmon
Heat the oven to 275F, lay the salmon skin down on an oiled pan, and slow roast 18 to 22 minutes until it just flakes.
- 2
Flake and chill
Flake it into a bowl, discarding the skin, and chill 30 minutes.
- 3
Saute the vegetables
Meanwhile, saute the onion, celery, carrot, scallion, parsley, capers and seasonings in 2 tbsp ghee and 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat for 10 minutes, then cool to room temperature.
- 4
Mix the cake base
Add the cassava flour, mayo, mustard and eggs to the salmon, then the cooled vegetables.
- 5
Chill the mixture
Mix well and chill 30 minutes (this is what keeps them from falling apart).
- 6
Form the cakes
Form 10 cakes.
- 7
Brown the cakes
Heat the remaining ghee and oil in a cast iron skillet over medium and cook the cakes about 4 minutes per side until browned.
- 8
Spoon on dill sauce
Stir the dill, mayo and lemon together and spoon over the warm cakes.
Swaps
- Hi-maize for half the cassava flour (1/4 cup). (Autoimmunity -2)
- Jacob's original: grill the salmon on the cool side of a covered grill for 10 minutes per side (high heat).
- Jacob's original seasoning: 1 1/2 tsp Old Bay, 1/4 tsp Tabasco, 1/2 cup each diced red and yellow bell pepper. (Autoimmunity -2)
- Breadcrumbs from a gluten-free bagel instead of cassava flour (Jacob's original). (Autoimmunity -2)
- Gyro: tuck two cakes into a cauliflower pizza crust with the dill sauce.
Why it works
Omega-3 and DHA
Salmon is high in omega-3 fats, specifically **DHA**, which supports intestinal epithelial integrity.
Omega-3 fats support intestinal epithelial integrity and resolution of inflammation.Omega-3 and gut barrier
In the randomized LIBRE trial, higher omega-3 levels tracked with better gut barrier markers.
Higher omega-3 levels tracked with better intestinal barrier markers in the randomized LIBRE trial.Wild versus farmed
Choose wild over farmed, since farmed salmon carries significantly more organochlorine contaminants.
Farmed salmon carries significantly higher organochlorine contaminants than wild salmon.Capers add quercetin
Slow roasting the salmon instead of grilling it keeps the AGE load down, and capers add quercetin.
Dry high-heat cooking (grilling, broiling, frying, roasting) multiplies the AGE content of food, while moist heat (poaching, steaming, stewing) and acidic marinades keep it low.Quercetin (onions, apples, capers) strengthens the intestinal barrier and increases claudin-4.GlycoProfile
- O
- Good
- A
- Best
- B
- Best
- AB
- Best
- Non-secretor
- Good
Nitrate-forward: best once your glycocalyx markers improve (JD, Oral Microbiome).
From the pantry
- Fish oil (EPA/DHA): Tops up omega-3 on days without seafood
- Betaine HCl with pepsin: Helps break down a protein-heavy meal when stomach acid runs low
From the community
How was this recipe?
Only averages and counts are shared. How you felt after eating stays private.
Checking your account…