Fat Tuesday Salmon

As I was going through my recipe files, I found a recipe for Fat Tuesday Salmon (not sure from where, but the page did have December 18, 2009 printed on it), and with Mardi Gras coming up, I figured I could give it a try. The main difference I saw comparing this recipe to other salmon patties was the use of a potato as binding instead of the usual crumbs. (So you'll want to keep as much of the starch as you can from the potato.) That's where, being the recipe skimmer that I am, I didn't realize the cracker crumbs were for coating. Even though I combined the cracker crumbs into the patty mixture, I think these turned out quite well, and they were quite flavorful. I made about 5 patties using about 8 ounces of salmon fillet, but from what I hear, a 14.5 ounce can of salmon would be an appropriate substitute. I've never used canned salmon, but I'm guessing a part of that weight is just the liquids, which should be drained before using in this recipe.

Although I think using a cracker crumb coating would have been more fun, I had already mixed in the cracker crumbs and I didn't want to make more, especially since I already took apart the coffee grinder I used. If you made the mixture into balls and coated with crumbs, you would probably get something similar to stuffing balls. Combine that with spinach balls, and you'd have a fun meal, especially good for kids or when you're on the go! However, if you're making salmon balls, I'd recommend baking them instead of pan frying.

Fat Tuesday Salmon

by CJ Huang

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
			1	potato, mashed
	8 ounces			salmon fillet, cooked	or 14.75 ounce can salmon, drained
			1	onion, diced
		1 cup		bell pepper, diced
			1	serrano pepper, minced	optional
			1	egg, beaten
		1/2 cup		cracker crumbs
		1/4 teaspoon		garlic powder

Methods:

1. Combine salmon, onion, bell pepper, potato, serrano pepper, egg, and any other desired seasonings. Mix well.
2. Shape mixture into patties (or balls) and coat with cracker crumbs.
3. Cook patties until browned on each side over medium heat. (Or, if you're making balls, bake at around 350F.) You could also freeze them for eating later.