This recipe is inspired by one in Preparing Fish & Wild Game: Exceptional Recipes for the Finest of Wild Game Feasts by Andrew Carre. It calls for cooked freshwater fish, and when you aren’t planning to cook raw fish just for the sake of reaching a starting point for the recipe, that really limits what’s available. If you have already cooked a really large bass or something and have a need to use up leftovers, this might be a great option.

I ended up buying a couple cans of salmon, which made a decent fish cake for the purpose of this dish. One alarming discovery, as someone who’s never worked with canned salmon before, is that it’s not treated the same way as canned tuna. Canned tuna is pure meat — no bones, no skin. Canned salmon, on the other hand, is full of bones and skin. This didn’t surprise my spouse, who said to just remove the spinal bones and not worry about the rest, but I wasn’t sure how well I wanted to get a bite with tiny rib bones, so I spent way too much time sifting through each morsel and separating out the bones and skin with my fingers. My hands smelled very fishy for the rest of the evening.

The moral of this story: If you have to use canned fish, maybe tuna isn’t such a bad option, even if it’s not a freshwater fish. Or, maybe skip the risk of bones altogether and try making this with crab or even lobster, if you’re feeling bougie.

Nonetheless, the result was delicious and I wouldn’t mind eating it again, though I’m not in a hurry to used canned salmon ever again. Your mileage may vary.

2 c. any flaked, cooked freshwater fish
1 c. panko crumbs
1/2 c. green onions, chopped finely
3 eggs
1 tbsp. white wine or sherry
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. neutral oil

Combine the fish, panko crumbs, onions, 1 egg, wine, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions (divide into half, then each half into thirds, or vice versa).

Shape each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Lightly beat the remaining 2 eggs. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow dish.

Dip the patties first in the eggs, then dredge in crumbs to coat.

In a 10-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the patties and fry for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown, turning over once.

Remove onto a paper towel-lined plate.

Serve with lemon wedges, tartar sauce, or mustard sauce if desired.