At dinner Cedar asked, “Why do we always eat salmon fish?” I’m concerned that at only two years she’s asking this question. As an Alaska girl, she’s in for the long haul with the “salmon fish.”
The long answer is that the freezer gets refilled with 30 dipnetted Copper River reds. My husband heads down to Chitina each summer. Folks tie themselves to rocks and stand on outcroppings in life jackets to dip huge nets with 8-foot handles into the water and pull out salmon. That’s too much to explain to her.
And as parents we’re learning about what’s too much to explain to her. This morning as TJ dressed for her preschool, she said, “I’m going to take off my shoes when I get there.” He said, “You have to wear shoes because there might be a fire drill.” Oh, the resulting questions. When was the fire at school? Did the woodstove start the fire? Why was there a fire at school? She looked worried. As they went out the door she was still reeling, saying, “Remember when Miss Pammi was fighting the fire.”
The short answer about why we always eat salmon is: they weigh more than our cat. When we cook one, it lasts for the better part of a week—salmon cakes, salmon chowder, salmon salad.
She woke up from her nap today and demanded, “Mama, make me a salmon cake.” When I told her we had none defrosted, she cried. Counting our blessings during a long week, we’re lucky she still likes the “salmon fish” and we’re lucky she kept her shoes on today.
Easy Alaskan Salmon Cakes
Note: everything in the recipe is approximate. The goal is to make it a consistency that can easily be shaped into patties
a couple of handfuls of leftover salmon (flaked)
one or two eggs
breadcrumbs (from 2 pieces of bread)
about 1/4 cup minced onion
minced garlic (1 clove)
tartar sauce
Mix everything together. If it’s too wet add more breadcrumbs. If it’s too dry add more egg. Shape into patties and fry in a cast iron skillet. Dip in tartar sauce and feel grateful for the salmon that gave itself to you.
I used to hate fish as a kid. HATE. But knowing it is good for me and my family, plentiful and a good cheap protein I’ve been forced to find new ways to cook it that I’ll like. Happy to say it’s worked and now I will actually tolerate, almost ENJOY it even. Almost.
This is just about the best recipe for leftover salmon every.
I threw in a bit of wasabi, for an additional kick, and now I look forward to making salmon so I can follow with these salmon cakes.
You’ve made my world a better place.
**
Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as
well. –Voltaire
Wah! but I never have leftover salmon, ever! Plus I’m at the other end of the world (Chile) and your talk of netted Chinook salmon bears no resemblance to the pale, farmed fish that turns up here.
It does sound like a delicious recipe though, and I will definitely keep it in mind. Enjoying your blog, first time visitor and commenter!
This was such a cute story! I am likewise learning what I can try to explain to my five year old daughter, Kendall. You’re right! Every single answer I giver her, only gets a hundred more questions in response!
THANKS for the recipe. My mom used to make “salmon patties” when I was little. I forgot all about them! She used canned salmon and I’m sure this dinner I’m making tonight using your recipe will be far superior using fresh salmon! Can’t wait! Yum!
My husband, Alex, and I made alaskan salmon cakes for our kids. Our four year old twins, Hannah and Hugo, who weren’t thrilled with the prospect of fish for dinner, turned out to thoroughly enjoy the salmon cakes. They even said they were better than rice pudding, a staple in their everyday diet! Henrietta, who is a year and a half old, happily made her way through the alaskan salmon cakes as well, although she did leave a mess all over her highchair. Baby Heidi,only three weeks old, did not eat the salmon cakes of course, but happily drank from her bottle and watched her family enjoy a new meal for the first time. We don’t eat fish as often as chicken, corn, green beans and rice pudding, because we have a handful of picky eaters on our hands. Alex and I thought the alaskan salmon cakes were absolutely delicious and a brilliant way to use salmon leftovers.