This rice cake recipe was inspired by Chef Kirsten Dixon of Tutka Bay Lodge near Homer. She created a recipe that used kippered salmon and a spicy mayo. I decided to adapt it using my mom’s personally smoked salmon, and a recent addition to my cooking repertoire, garlic sesame soy dressing.
I was a little disappointed with the way the salmon and rice came out. The texture was great, but it was simply ‘salmon and rice.’ Boring. BORING! BORING!
I decided to continue anyway, cutting the pressed rice into blocks, dusting with flour, and frying.
For many of you who have read my recipes before, it is a pretty well known fact that I am not a huge fan of salmon. Smoked salmon seems to be the better option, but even using smoked in this, it was not seeming to be a very successful recipe. That, is probably, what lead me to add the garlic sesame soy sauce.
Smoked Salmon Ricecakes with Carrot Ginger ‘Compliment’ and Soba Noodles
I was totally blown away with what it became! Aristotle once wrote, ‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.’ That is the perfect description for this recipe. The crisp of the fried rice, the smoke of the salmon, the sweet and garlic of the sauce….. and the seaweed! Love it or hate it, the flavorful depth of flaked seaweed crisp make this recipe.
Versatility is also a byproduct of this recipe. If you are using it for a main or side dish cut the blocks large. If you are hosting a party simply cut the rice mix into bite-sized cubes. Because they are so crisp you won’t even need toothpicks. If you choose to fry small pieces for a little longer they make perfect crispy croutons for a salad or soup. However you choose to serve it, this dish is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Smoked Salmon Ricecake Hors d’oeurvres
Smoked Salmon Rice Cakes with Garlic Sesame Soy Dressing
By:semiserious chefs
Serves: 4-6+ (can be cut to hors d’oeuvres size for many servings)
Ingredients:
For the Rice Cakes:
- 1 cup dry sticky rice (calrose or jasmine)
- 1 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/2 smoked salmon; flaked
- 1 T rice vinegar
- 1/8 t salt
- 1/4 t pepper
- 1 cup flour, with more aside for spare as needed
- 1 cup panko, with more aside for spare as needed
- oil for frying
For the Garlic Soy Dressing:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 t sugar
- 1 t fine minced garlic (1 large clove)
- 2 t sesame seeds
- 1 t rice vinegar
- optional: 1/8 t sesame oil (optional)
- optional: red pepper flakes (gochugaru) to taste
- 1/2 green onion; julienne
- 5-10 sheets seaweed chips
Directions:
- Add rice, water, salmon, vinegar, salt, and pepper to a small pot with lid. Bring to a boil over medium high, without opening. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, until plump and moist.
- Line a 9×9 baking pan with plastic wrap and fill with cooked rice and salmon mixture. Press gently to create a uniform thickness, around 1 inch. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge or freezer.
- To prepare dressing: simply add the soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, sesame seeds, and sesame oil or chili flakes as desired, to a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer. This is just to incorporate the sugar and aromatize the garlic. Remove from heat and set aside for plating.
- When your rice has cooled and firmed, about an hour, remove from pan by lifting plastic wrap. Using a wet knife blade, slice your cake into preferred size portions. Try 1×1 inch cubes for appetizers or hors d’oeuvres, and 3 inch squares for side or main dishes.
- Roll each portion in a mixture of equal parts flour and panko, making sure to cover each side and edge.
- Fry in oil, turning as needed, until slightly golden all around, with desired crispiness. (375 degrees in a deep fryer, or ‘glistening’ over medium high on the stove top.) Let drain on paper plate.
- Plate your fried rice cakes with a simple drizzle of the garlic sesame soy dressing. Add slivered green onions and crumbled seaweed crisps as desired to finish. [Highly Suggested]
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