I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve been thinking a lot about the meat shortage lately. Like, a lot a lot. Like, I keep writing about it for work a lot. If you haven’t noticed prices of meat skyrocketing at your grocery store, take this as your warning: it’s bound to happen soon. Numerous meatpacking sites closed due to the health of their employees (and the spread of the virus), which means meat production will slow. Which also means, yes, we’ll have to start getting creative with our protein choices. So this week I finally tackled creating a salmon patties recipe—something I’ve been wanting to try for far too long.
Okay, so I’ve had this can of salmon in my cupboard for an embarrassingly long amount of time. I’m not even gonna kid you, I may have bought in 2019. But like, canned salmon can apparently last unopened in your cupboard for three years. So I don’t really feel too bad about it.
The reason I picked up in the first place was to do exactly what I’m doing, which is to create my very own salmon patties recipe. But since the only canned meat I’ve ever worked with before is tuna, I was feeling pretty nervous to mess with something I wasn’t familiar with. And to be quite honest, I’m pretty upset that I didn’t just do it when I first bought the can. This salmon patties recipe is so good, I ended up texting numerous family members pictures of my masterpiece with subsequent texts in all caps about how genius I am. True story, you can even ask my mom.
I think my absolute favorite thing about this salmon patties recipe is how they use a lot of those random things in your fridge. Have some leftover green onions and fresh parsley you need to use up? I mean, think about it. How many times have you bought a bunch of green onions or parsley for one recipe, never use it again, and find it wilting in the pack of your crisper drawer months later? Save yourself the trouble (and the food waste) and just use it already!
How I like to serve my salmon patties
Now obviously you can have your salmon patty on a toasted bun or something, but I actually love making these my protein for a lunch salad. If you want to recreate the salad I photographed, here’s what to do:
- Roast sweet potato wedges in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
- During the last 10 minutes, throw in some trimmed green beans to roast with the potatoes.
- While roasting, make a bottle of this lemon vinaigrette.
- Trim about 1-2 cups of curly kale off the stem and place in a bowl.
- Drizzle in a small amount of lemon vinaigrette. Massage the kale with the dressing using clean hands. Yes, massaging it makes the kale tender and pleasurable to eat without cooking.
- Top with the roasted vegetables and a salmon patty, drizzled with extra lemon vinaigrette and chopped parsley.
How to reheat salmon patties
An easy mistake I made with this salmon patties recipe? Reheating them in the microwave. Sure, it’s fast, but your patties won’t be nearly as good after a microwave reheat.
Instead, the best way to reheat your salmon patties is in the pan over medium-low heat. It’s not good to reheat seafood because, well, the smell is kind of horrendous. So give yourself a little time to reheat these patties properly—you’ll have a better eating experience because of it.
Alright, here’s the recipe.
Salmon Patties
Ingredients
- 1 14.5 oz. can of salmon drained
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup green onions finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Drain the salmon and place it in a large bowl. Flake the large chunks of fish apart using a fork.
- Add in the egg, panko, chopped green onions, chopped parsley, garlic powder, paprika, and salt. Mix together with a fork or a large spoon until fully combined.
- Scoop 1/3 cup of salmon patty mixture, then shape into a patty using clean hands. Do this for all six patties.
- Heat up the olive oil in a non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Carefully place in the salmon patties.
- Cook on each side for 5 minutes.
- Serve on a bun or a bed of kale with your favorite roasted vegetables drizzled in a lemon vinaigrette.
Leave a Reply