Salmon Chanted Evening (some canned music)

Several times in the past season, The Bat has purchased pre-fab salmon burgers or patties from the freezer section of the local supermarket. I did the math on their actual individual cost, & realized I could make some myself, at a lower price, and with the total flavor profile we genuinely prefer (e.g., Pop & The Bat are not particularly fond of garlic, and I need gluten-free).

Besides, I always have a cupboard full of canned fishies that would otherwise get completely ignored. So. 

Say "hello" to my friend Patty – Salmon Patty.

It takes a few minutes to prep, & a while (at least a half hour) to rest before cooking, so it won't do as a seat-of-the-pants last minute option, but it does freeze well, if you need to set up short cuts for later.

And, speaking of short cuts... dehydrated/freeze dried onions and/or scallions are a cook's best friend, here, if you can keep them on hand. I go through a lot of them, in soups, eggs, and other dishes, so I buy bulk. They save my increasingly arthritic hands the labor of chopping, as well as not going bad in the refrigerator or the onion bin if I can't get to them for a couple of weeks. Buying fresh is nice, buying frozen is useful when you have freezer space, but dehydrated veggies are a godsend, these days.

You will need 
a small strainer and bowl to save liquids
a small bowl or cup for beating an egg
a medium mixing bowl
a fork or stirring spatula with which to mix
measuring cups and spoons
baking sheet covered with nonstick parchment
refrigerator space
a large frying pan (preferably nonstick) and spatula


Salmon Patties

Ingredients:

Two 5-ounce cans of no-salt-added salmon, drained, liquid reserved
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs (I use gluten free panko)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 cup chopped scallions (little green onions)
1/4 cup minced onions
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
2 – 3 tablespoons of your preferred cooking oil (I used avocado)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Strain your canned salmon, set aside the liquid. If there are bones in your fish, either pick them out or mash them as you transfer the fish from strainer to medium-small mixing bowl.

Add in bread crumbs, beaten egg, sour cream, dill weed, scallions, onions, and Old Bay. If you are using dehydrated onions/scallions, also add back in the liquids from the canned fish (up to 3 Tablespoons), to revitalize them. Stir until just mixed, but still lumpy (unless your preference is more burger-like than fish-cake like. If that's the case, go ahead and mix until smooth).

Scoop and form into roughly 1/2 cup balls, then slightly flatten them out (about 1 inch thick) onto parchment on a baking sheet. Allow to rest in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes, up to 4 hours.

Preheat oil in frying pan over medium heat. Place the patties in the pan, leaving plenty of room between them for you to fit the spatula for flipping. Cook for about 5 minutes, flip, press down gently on each patty, and cook for another 5 minutes, or until crispy brown.

Serve hot, serve cold, serve as late as three days old.

Recipe makes 6 to 8 small patties (about 4 servings)