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.

Tuesday Tacos, true Gulf Coast Flavor!

I see fish tacos as a very Baja Mexico creation, in recent years I have noticed them appearing many menus across Texas as well.  The fish can be grilled, fried or seared but however it is prepared they are almost always enjoyable.  I used to rate a good Tex-Mex restaurant on the enchiladas & salsa alone, now I guess the establishment had better be on the game with the Fish Tacos too! The fish must be super fresh.  We are fortunate to have fresh Gulf seafood nearly at our fingertips here in Texas.  (You can substitute any fresh fish of choice.) I added one of my favorite fruits to these tacos.  We are just now finding fabulous pomegranates here in the markets.  I even have some small pom varieties in my garden however they are not ready yet to eat. This week on Tuesday we had Fish Tacos with a twist of course. The combination of Pomegranate & Jalapeno give these Fish Tacos a real star rating in the Texas to Mexico household.  Like most tacos they are pretty fuss free & easy to prepare. They make a perfect dinner for a night of things that go bump in the night & trick or treating!  Enjoy my friends & buen provecho!

Gulf Coast Fish Tacos
1 1/2 lb *Gulf Sea Bass, *any fish of your choice is great
1 Pkg Louisiana Fish Fry
2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup Guacamole
1 cup chopped cabbage, either red or green
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded & diced
1 Pomegranate, Seeded
Fish Taco Sour Cream dressing
1 cup sour cream
1/ 4cup milk
2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp oregano or cilantro, chopped fine either dry or fresh
Pepper & Salt to taste

Fry Fish dipped in to the Louisiana Fish Fry,  in 1 1/2 inches of oil, I used favorite cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Cook time for fish while frying: 4-5 minutes, turning once during the frying process. The fish should have a crisp texture on the outside & have a nice golden color.  The fish should easily flake once it is cooked. (do not over cook) Drain the fish on paper towels, keep warm in oven preheated at 225*.  Heat corn tortillas thoroughly, on comal or griddle.

Assemble the Fish tacos placing a layer of guacamole on the bottom of the tortilla, add few tablespoons of cabbage, piece of fish, top with Sour Cream Sauce (recipe above) then sprinkle liberally with the pomegranate seeds.  I served this with Spanish Rice & also garnished that with the red pomegranate seeds.

 Louisiana Fish Fry is our favorite fish fry.  When I attended college in Louisiana these products earned my eternal favor!  What goes better with Gulf Seafood?  If there is a product out there I haven't found it yet but still open to try new things! Let me know what your favorite Fish Fry is?