Meet the Chef 

With a background in a variety of cuisines under his belt, as well as experience with hotel banquets, Banquet Executive Chef and Manager Leon Scott was drawn to Northwater’s culinary program and has now been with the restaurant since August of 2023. He’s already made quite the impression on local businesses by catering several different events through Northwater, including Bellingham Alive’s own Best of the Northwest celebration. Scott has also strived to discover and utilize local products to create his dishes throughout every occupation he’s had. At Northwater, Scott focuses on highlighting the seasonal ingredients he finds from local vendors for the dishes he serves. This is expertly displayed in the White Miso & Sake Salmon Cakes he serves. They feature fresh, locally sourced king and coho salmon coupled with simpler ingredients to further highlight the unique flavors of the salmon. Follow Scott’s recipe for these Northwater salmon cakes to experience this one-of a-kind dish at home! 

Ingredients 

4 cups of poached salmon (flaked)

1 tablespoon pomace oil

dash of sesame oil

green onions, halved and sliced on extreme bias

1 tablespoon white miso paste

3 tablespoons sake

1 ½ tablespoons mirin

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

dash of wasabi paste

1 teaspoon grated ginger flour to coat

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 tablespoon white soy sauce

1 tablespoon water

Instructions

• Heat the pomace oil and sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

• Add half of the green onion and cook until tender.

• Stir in the miso paste, sake, and mirin until blended.

• Bring to a simmer, then stir in the rice vinegar.

• Return to a simmer and cook until thickened, about seven minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

• In a medium bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, salmon, wasabi, ginger, and the other half of the green onion

• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, soy sauce, and water using a fork.

• Stir about half of this into the salmon mixture, and if it seems dry, stir in a little more until the salmon mixture sticks together in patties.

• Form into 4-ounce patties that are uniform.

• Create a breading station with all-purpose flour, egg wash, and panko breadcrumbs in separate sections.

• Season each section with kosher salt and white pepper.

• Bread all the cakes and place on a parchment lined sheet pan.

• Pour enough of your choice of high heat oil (i.e., canola, grapeseed, peanut) to just fill a Dutch oven or fryer, if you have one.

• Heat your oil to 350° F

• Add the cakes to the oil, being careful not to add too many to avoid the oil boiling over.

• Fry until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit. If your cakes are becoming browned too quickly, you can remove them from the oil and place them on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake them until they reach 145° F

• Serve