Thai Salmon Fish Cakes

Fish cakes might have a reputation for being bland and boring, but these Thai salmon fish cakes are anything but!

Growing up I hated fish, partially because my only reference point was fish sticks, which I’ve come to realize are anything but impressive. In high school, I steered clear of fish as much as possible, and in university, I essentially lived on bowls of pasta or toast with peanut butter. It wasn’t until I started my first job working in Sports Marketing that I was determined to eat healthier and learn to cook along the way. There were ups and downs, to say the least, nights of eating homemade meals, and others visiting the local takeout spot with friends. Part of the biggest challenge in eating well was actually making my food taste good. I had never used herbs or spices, let alone did I have any in my kitchen, so I really had to be creative and find simple ways to make my food palatable. I still remember one night after work, sitting in my apartment with my roommate, asking him to explain how to cook with spices. I remember taking notes of our conversation with things like; “paprika + cumin = Mexican, oregano + basil = Italian“. Looking back it’s actually hilarious to think that how I started to learn.

I’m not suggesting that I am now an expert in the kitchen by any means, but the reality was that no amount of notetaking was going to help me, I just had to start trying things. Buying spices, trying spices and mixing them together to create a different flavour combination. I googled recipes, made good ones and also made terrible ones, but I learned by doing. A simple piece of salmon or fish on its own is incredibly nutritious, but it is the way you season and cook it that makes it incredibly delicious.

Fish cakes are a really simple and inexpensive way to make a small amount of salmon stretch for several meals, and these Thai salmon fish cakes are no different. They are best made using leftovers from the night before to help cut down on prep time, but can certainly be made in the moment. I made these Thai salmon fish cakes with canned salmon, which is quick and cheap to use, but if you have leftover cold salmon you can certainly use that too. It’s the simple combination of spices and flavours in these humble salmon fish cakes that give them a delicious Thai flavour. Paired with a simple salad, they make a great light lunch or dinner.