Salmon Patties & Fish Stories

As a kid my adventure loving folks moved us from San Antonio Texas where the average summer temperature often registers in the triple digits to Alaska where the lengthy winter months are cold & temperatures average well below freezing. The trade off for such a harsh winter besides the spectacular beauty & unbridled spirit of the 49th state is the abundant fish & game. Alaskans were doing sustainable living long before it was the "in" thing to do. Once my father discovered Salmon fishing it became a family event during the Salmon fishing season. Coming from Texas where the fresh water fish no where near approached the size of Salmon it was a new frontier in the kitchen. My parents canned salmon, baked, bbq'd, broiled, smoked & made salmon a regular part of our diet. At times it seemed as though we'd eaten oceans of Salmon & fought of swarms of Alaskan mosquitos all summer long.  My fondness for salmon wore off probably just shy of my pre-teen years. As an adult I gained a new enjoyment of Alaskan Salmon, quite possibly because Texas is a very long way from Alaska & absence does make the heart grow fonder.  No longer able to roll out of bed on a Saturday morning for an early fishing run as we did all those many years ago I'd do just about anything to relive those days again.  Instead I have to depend upon a good source of wild caught fresh or canned salmon when I feel a yearning for Salmon coming on.  The salmon pattie recipe I make is closely linked to Martha Stewart's Asian Salmon Pattie recipe here:  She uses fresh salmon however I often have a can or two of salmon on hand. What I like from Martha's recipe is that she uses no cracker or bread crumbs as many recipes do.  This recipe lets the egg become the binding agent & the flavors of ginger give a nice Asian hint without overwhelming the pattie. Not if but when I travel to Alaska again, I'm going Salmon fishing & I will enjoy it even more as an adult. Till then I'm having a Salmon Pattie & remembering all those fishing trips of my childhood~

Salmon  fishing, a family event (our  poodle "Jacques" is even  there for the photo)

Alaska Salmon Patties


3- 6 oz cans of wild caught Alaskan Salmon
2 eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp diced green onion tops
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp fresh minced ginger

My sister & I were quite the Salmon fishing duo back in the day there alongside our family VW Vanagon.

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
pinch of sea salt & pinch of celery salt


Drain Salmon well, loosely mix in the rest of the ingredients careful not to break up the salmon too much.  Cook in large skillet over medium high heat in oil of choice.  Drop Salmon mixture by spoonful into hot skillet. Let cook thoroughly turning over once so each side is golden brown. If you turn or touch the patties too much as they are cooking they tend to fall apart.  Just place them in the hot skillet, leave them alone till brown around the edges & then turn gently. A total of about 5-6 minutes should do it. Serve warm with lemon wedges, green onion tops or a dollop of hot Asian Siracha sauce as I did.