Recipe: Salmon Croquettes

 

There are quite a few foods that I prepare for the blog and realize that I never ever saw or had a recipe for it. I learned to cook so many dishes by taste growing up, and not by following a recipe.  Salmon croquettes are one of the dishes I remember my mom making as I was growing up. 

I wish I knew the origin of this dish, but I believe it is primarily a Southern meal--which makes sense because my mom is originally from the South. She would actually make these for breakfast(!) along with a side of white rice.

This is one of those things I make every blue moon, yet my husband is rabid about loves this dish!  When I told him I wanted to make salmon croquettes his exact response?  "Oooh!!"  Enough chatter. Here's what you'll need to make salmon croquettes a.k.a. salmon patties at home:

(*Note:  I used 2 cans of salmon, which will yield a total of about 12 medium patties.  You may adjust the recipe down to one can if you prefer.  In that case, you might want to reduce the seasonings by half or to taste.)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 small green onions chopped 

2 large eggs beaten

1/2 cup bread crumbs

(2) 14 oz cans of pink salmon

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp dried parsley

1/2 cup chopped green peppers (cooked until softened)

1/2 tsp crushed garlic

Start by draining all the liquid off the canned salmon. Put the drained salmon into a medium to large bowl.   It ain't pretty ladies and gents, but we'll fix that later. You might notice tiny pieces of the fish's bone. The bones are actually pretty soft and easy to crush between your fingers, so they are not particularly dangerous.  I prefer to crush all the bones, just so there are none visible--I know it sounds sadistic--but hey, it  adds calcium so it's all good.

Using a spoon, break up the salmon and mix until it looks similar to the picture at left.  See, it's looking better already! If you haven't cooked your green peppers until soft, do it now.  Just stir the peppers, in about 2 tbsp oil, in a skillet on low-medium heat until softened.

Now you can add all the seasonings, chopped onions, beaten eggs, and bread crumbs to bowl of salmon.  Mix everything really well.  You can now heat the vegetable oil in a skillet on low-medium heat.

Next you want to take about a fourth-cup of the salmon mixture and shape into patties of about an inch or so in thickness.  Why did that just feel like a math lesson? Oy vey! On another note, have fun getting your hands dirty.

I read a tip online that if you refrigerate the patties and let them get cold before frying, it prevents them from crumbling or falling apart.  I've never tried it but it might not be a bad idea because the patties can be pretty fragile.  Keep that in mind should you skip the refrigeration tip.

Carefully place the patties in the hot oil.  Be very careful of oil splatters! I like to use a spatula to press down on the patties while cooking. In my opinion, that also helps keep the patties intact.  You will start to notice the edges have turned a bit brown, at that time you can flip and cook on the other side.  The goal is to get a nice golden brown coat on the patties.

I like to eat my croquettes with a side of long grain wild rice, as I think it is very complimentary.  You can find a side or two that works well for your family.  These patties cook in minutes making it a great meal when you want something inexpensive and fast.