Salmon Croquettes

The Croquettes at Beans and Cornbread the other night put me in mind of making them for dinner last night. My recipe is similar to the one my mother used- she really loved her salmon croquettes- but with a few slight differences.

Mix together gently:

• one can salmon, drained and broken up
  
• One egg
  
• two tablespoons each chopped shallot, celery, parsley, and green pepper
  
• about 1/4c bread crumbs
  
• 1/2t Old Bay seasoning
  
• salt and pepper
  

Form into patties, and place into a well-oiled medium hot skillet. I like using peanut or canola oil for this:



Don't squeeze the patties too hard. Just form them gently in your hands, shaping and patting. I've seen chefs use a mold and saran wrap- a tuna can with the top and bottom removed makes a good mold.

Cook a few minutes on each side until nicely browned:



My mother always served her salmon (and tuna) croquettes with a dollop of dill-flavored sour cream, but I like mayonnaise flavored with either red pepper or Dijon mustard.



You can obviously make a lot of changes to this recipe. Use other fish, clams, chopped fresh or cooked shrimp, etc. Use red peppers instead of green, or a mix of both. Use onions, red onions, or other alliums in place of shallots. You can also try different seasonings- maybe add a dash of ground ginger and some garlic.