Why it works: Salmon and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 27% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,446 recipes. Both carry guaiacol, which smells smoky, sweet. The science ↓
Salmon Cakes
Ingredients
Directions
Make the mixture
In a bowl, mix the chopped salmon and finely rolled crackers.
Season the mixture with pepper and coarse sea salt.
Cook and serve
Form the mixture into small cakes.
Fry the cakes in a pan until they are brown.
Serve hot.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Salmon + peppertop 27% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together5,446 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Salmon
- Provides the main body and flavor of the cakes.
- Finely rolled crackers
- Bind the salmon so the cakes hold their shape and absorb moisture.
The step that matters
Fry the cakes until brown. Frying over sufficient heat browns the surface through the Maillard reaction, adding flavor and a crisp exterior. Pale, under-browned cakes lack that flavor and may hold too much moisture.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More salmon cakes recipes
You might also like
Salmon Salad155 recipes
Salmon Croquettes129 recipes
Canned Salmon14 recipes
Smoked Salmon14 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.