The 2010 edition of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's dietary guidelines strongly encourages Americans to eat more seafood. Fish and shellfish are leaner and more healthful than most meats, and they're among the best sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Two of the most-loved seafood offerings are salmon and Maryland-style crab cakes. They're both enjoyable on their own, and better yet when combined in a mixed seafood dinner.
About Salmon
Many widely-eaten fish, including anchovies, mackerel and herring, contain high levels of essential fatty acids. For cooks, salmon's great advantage over those rivals is its rich but mild flavor, which lacks the frequently pungent "fishiness" of those other species. Wild-caught Pacific salmon and farmed Atlantic salmon are both widely available and usually reasonable in price. Buy the boned fillets with or without skin, depending how you prefer to cook them. Their fatty acids are largely concentrated in the layer just beneath the skin, so skin-on fillets provide more omega-3s.
About Crab Cakes
Crab cakes are a cherished tradition in many coastal regions, but they're especially fine in Maryland. That version relies on the local blue crabs, though other varieties can make excellent crab cakes as well. The best crab cakes are made by mixing large chunks of crab meat with just enough egg and soft white bread to hold the meat together, then shaping the mixture into patties and breading the flat sides.
Cooking Times
Crab cakes are made from pre-cooked crab, so they only need to be hot and golden when served. Salmon fillets are normally cooked from raw, which takes longer. To serve the two together, their cooking times must be synchronized. If the crab cakes and the salmon fillets are each roughly 1-inch thick, the salmon will require 10 to 12 minutes' cooking time and the crab cakes approximately half that.
Preparation
If you're pan-searing the salmon and crab cakes, use two skillets or one skillet large enough to hold the fillets and crab cakes without crowding. When the fillets are half-cooked — approximately six to seven minutes — turn them and add the crab cakes. Turn the crab cakes after three more minutes, and serve both when the second side is golden. To prepare them in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven, pan-sear the crab cakes and set them aside. Put the salmon on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for five minutes, then add the crab cakes and bake for another seven to eight minutes.
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