Salmon Croquettes

Mid-Century Favorites…

I have been reading about William Faulkner since we visited Rowan Oak, his home in Oxford, Mississippi, last month. In the process, I have found several references to Salmon Croquettes. They are said to have been his favorite meal. The recipe was from the back of the can.

It has been years since I last thought of Salmon Croquettes, longer since I ate one.  Croquettes are an old fashioned concept, popular mid-century, when Faulkner was still writing. That was a time when canned goods had become widely available to most Americans but fresh seafood had not. Canned tuna and salmon became staples in many southern kitchens. Recipes for tuna casseroles and salmon croquettes were popular with homemakers and widely shared in local cookbooks of that era.

Many of my friends speak fondly of tuna casseroles but it is Salmon Croquettes that I remember my midcentury family eating regularly.  I never trusted the creaminess of a Tuna Casserole, or any mixture of uncertain white ingredients.  Salmon Croquettes were more straightforward.  Not that I knew what was in them at the time, but they were shaped like hamburgers and tasted like what they purported to be, fish. 

And then there were the bones. The canned salmon we used contained little circular bones that looked like flat beads or tiny puka shells.  What’s more we were encouraged to eat them if we liked.  They were easily chewed and were dense with calcium.  I found them uniquely intriguing and loved finding one or more hidden inside the Salmon Croquette on my plate.

…Revisited

Drawn by memory or tradition, and my childish fascination with those bones, I tried to recreate the charm of eating Salmon Croquettes a time or two after I married.  I followed the recipe Aunt Hen gave me and they turned out fine. Somehow though, the charm was lost. Salmon Croquettes fell out of my menu rotations for decades.

Lately, though, I have read of “croquettes” several times. The word seems to have come back into favor, or at least pulls at a nostalgic chord with those of us who remember those mid-century patties from our childhood. Spurred on by the rumor that Salmon Croquettes were a favorite of Faulkner, a true Southern Literary Giant, I am inspired to make them again.

This time, instead of using canned salmon I used leftover salmon,
something we often have on hand after baking or grilling a Simple Salmon fillet. What it lacked in intriguing bits of bone it made up for in it’s firmer texture.  I am a bit picky about the ingredients so after looking over several recipes I finally decided to adapt something of my own that is a little like Crab Cakes and a little like my memories of Betty Crocker. I feel sure this recipe would work well with canned salmon too, though the quantities would need to be adjusted according to the size of the can.

These Salmon Croquettes are delicious served on buns with lettuce and/or tomato, like Crab Cakes.  You might also like them smothered in delicious Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. Or serve them for brunch with eggs and grits.

Salmon Croquettes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

Faulkner’s favorite mid-century recipe – reimagined.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cooked (or canned) salmon, flaked (about 1½ cups)

• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped shallot or green onions

• 1 egg, slightly beaten

• ½  cup panko crumbs or toasted bread crumbs

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• dash of Tabasco

• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or dill

• pinch of salt and pepper

• more panko crumbs (for dredging)

• butter and olive oil (for frying)

Directions

• In a large mixing bowl combine the flaked salmon, chopped shallots, egg, crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, mustard, fresh parsley or dill, salt and pepper. Mix until combined.
• Form croquettes using ½ cup of the mixture for each.  Dredge in panko crumbs and arrange on a plate or small baking sheet.
• When ready to cook: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot add 1 Tablespoon of butter and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
• Place the formed croquettes in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before frying. (They can be wrapped and frozen for later use at this point. If frozen, thaw completely before frying.)
• When the oil is hot, place the Salmon Croquettes in the skillet and cook over medium heat until golden brown, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Notes