I have to brag a little, y'all. I am incredibly lucky to have such such caring, wonderful friends. My 28th birthday was a few weeks ago, and in celebration, one of my dearest college friends (who is, by the way, a badass triathlete) Anna sent me the bible of Texas home cooking. Yes, that's right, y'all...she sent me "The Homesick Texan" cookbook. Now, for those of you who are not familiar with Lisa Fain, she is a seventh generation Texan who moved to New York and has been missing the big, open sky and Texan tradition ever since. Her nostalgia became so strong that she began writing a blog documenting her culinary explorations, which later resulted in a fabulous cookbook. What I found so unique about her blog was not just the intricate photos she took of her foods, or the memories that her recipes of such regional classic dishes as Texas-style barbeque, stuffed avocados, or chicken/beef fajitas evoked, but her simple, anecdotal writing style. Each entry had a perfect dash of personal touch -- just enough to connect with any reader, regardless of his/her background. Then, when Anna sent me the cookbook, I became HOOKED. Unfortunately, I caught a terrible cold the morning of my birthday, but I spent all day reading in bed about different recipes and marking my favorites to try later. Not a bad way to spend a sick day, if I say so myself. :)
One of the most striking recipes I found in the book was one for salmon croquettes. Now, salmon croquettes are a traditional Southern dish, but they also bring me back to my days living at home because they remind me of Bengali maacher chop (essentially, fried fish patties, or croquettes). My mom would whip up a batch for dinner parties or when we came home from college from scratch pretty easily. They would be served with a homemade (of course) spicy mint or cilantro chutney, as well as a sweeter, tangier tamarind sauce. Anyway, I decided to finally make them a few days ago and they turned out pretty tasty, I think. I have to say, though, I have a new appreciation for my mother's quick and efficient skills in the kitchen. She'd make these things in no time at all, and I spent nearly four hours preparing my batch!
So, here's to you, Ma -- this is the first and last time I'll likely ever make these from scratch, but at least I've documented the experience and checked it off my bucket list. Now for the deets...
I did change Lisa's recipe a little (because, let's face it...you know by now that I can never follow recipes exactly...), and the final details below reflect those changes. Instead of using Panko or breadcrumbs to coat the patties, I rolled them in a plate of finely crushed cheddar and sour cream chips (!!). I also served the croquettes aside 2 sauces; the first was a creamy cilantro sauce (reminiscent of my mom's cilantro chutney, but a little different recipe), while the other was a yogurt-based dip reminiscent of tzatziki, but with cilantro and lime. I served the delectable pan-fried salmon patties with a Southwestern-style salad packed with creamy avocados, succulent tomatoes, freshly boiled black beans (not from the can, y'all), and a healthy dose of lime, salt, cilantro, and crumbled queso fresco. If you do try the recipe below, feel free to use instant potatoes and canned salmon to cut down on preparation time. I made everything from scratch just to try it once (plus I found an incredible sale on salmon last week and had some extra fish leftover in my freezer!). Bon appetit!
Ingredients:
-1 lb salmon fillet
-1/4 lb Yukon gold potatoes
-1 serrano (or your favorite) pepper
-red pepper flakes
-6 cloves of garlic
-1 onion
-3 limes
-1 large egg
-1 small bag of cheddar and sour cream (or your favorite) chips
-1 bunch cilantro
-1 cup yogurt
-salt/pepper to taste
-1-2 tbsp butter (to fry the patties)
Preparation:
Croquettes:
-Lightly season the salmon with salt and garlic (garlic often kills the 'fishy' smell if it's not the freshest batch in the seafood aisle) and bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees (*Note: Cook time will vary by oven)
-Remove salmon from oven after cooked completely and let cool. After it has cooled, remove the skin on the back of the fillet.
-Boil potatoes on the stove until they seem soft enough to mash (*Note: Usually takes less time if you halve or quarter the potatoes), then drain and let potatoes cool.
-Mash the potatoes and salmon in a large mixing bowl (it's more fun to do it with your hands!) and season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, a handful of chopped cilantro, and the juice of one lime.
-Finely chop half an onion and four cloves of garlic, then sautee for 1-2 minutes until they begin to 'sweat.'
-Remove onions and garlic from stove and add to the salmon and potato mix, along with 1 large egg.
-Mix/mash thoroughly and form tennis ball sized spheres from the mixture. Flatten the patties onto a separate plate.
-Coat the patties in the crushed chips and fry in a large pan, 3 minutes on each side. Serve warm with 2 sauces (or your own concoction) described below.
*Note: Remember, you can store fried croquettes on a cookie sheet in the oven at 170 degrees, to keep your food warm.
Creamy Cilantro Sauce:
-Combine 1 bunch of washed cilantro (stems and all), two tablespoons yogurt, half an onion, 1 raw serrano (or your favorite) pepper (stem removed), the juice of one lime, a generous amount of salt, and a splash of water into a food processor.
-Pulverize the mixture until it becomes a creamy sauce. Adjust seasonings as needed.
A Southwestern Tzatziki Sauce:
-Strain half a cup of yogurt into the sink or a large bowl using a cheese cloth (if you don't have cheese cloth, which I never do, then you can always use an old cotton rag or t-shirt, as long as it's clean). Most of the liquid should drain within 10-20 minutes.
-Remove the strained yogurt from the cloth and pour into a small bowl.
-Add 2 cloves of FINELY chopped garlic, the squeeze of half a lime, 1 handful of chopped cilantro, and a generous amount of salt.
-Mix well and adjust seasonings as needed.
One of the most striking recipes I found in the book was one for salmon croquettes. Now, salmon croquettes are a traditional Southern dish, but they also bring me back to my days living at home because they remind me of Bengali maacher chop (essentially, fried fish patties, or croquettes). My mom would whip up a batch for dinner parties or when we came home from college from scratch pretty easily. They would be served with a homemade (of course) spicy mint or cilantro chutney, as well as a sweeter, tangier tamarind sauce. Anyway, I decided to finally make them a few days ago and they turned out pretty tasty, I think. I have to say, though, I have a new appreciation for my mother's quick and efficient skills in the kitchen. She'd make these things in no time at all, and I spent nearly four hours preparing my batch!
So, here's to you, Ma -- this is the first and last time I'll likely ever make these from scratch, but at least I've documented the experience and checked it off my bucket list. Now for the deets...
I did change Lisa's recipe a little (because, let's face it...you know by now that I can never follow recipes exactly...), and the final details below reflect those changes. Instead of using Panko or breadcrumbs to coat the patties, I rolled them in a plate of finely crushed cheddar and sour cream chips (!!). I also served the croquettes aside 2 sauces; the first was a creamy cilantro sauce (reminiscent of my mom's cilantro chutney, but a little different recipe), while the other was a yogurt-based dip reminiscent of tzatziki, but with cilantro and lime. I served the delectable pan-fried salmon patties with a Southwestern-style salad packed with creamy avocados, succulent tomatoes, freshly boiled black beans (not from the can, y'all), and a healthy dose of lime, salt, cilantro, and crumbled queso fresco. If you do try the recipe below, feel free to use instant potatoes and canned salmon to cut down on preparation time. I made everything from scratch just to try it once (plus I found an incredible sale on salmon last week and had some extra fish leftover in my freezer!). Bon appetit!
 |
| Salmon croquettes served with creamy cilantro and yogurt-based sauces, and a refreshing Southwestern-style salad. |
Ingredients:
-1 lb salmon fillet
-1/4 lb Yukon gold potatoes
-1 serrano (or your favorite) pepper
-red pepper flakes
-6 cloves of garlic
-1 onion
-3 limes
-1 large egg
-1 small bag of cheddar and sour cream (or your favorite) chips
-1 bunch cilantro
-1 cup yogurt
-salt/pepper to taste
-1-2 tbsp butter (to fry the patties)
Preparation:
Croquettes:
-Lightly season the salmon with salt and garlic (garlic often kills the 'fishy' smell if it's not the freshest batch in the seafood aisle) and bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees (*Note: Cook time will vary by oven)
-Remove salmon from oven after cooked completely and let cool. After it has cooled, remove the skin on the back of the fillet.
-Boil potatoes on the stove until they seem soft enough to mash (*Note: Usually takes less time if you halve or quarter the potatoes), then drain and let potatoes cool.
-Mash the potatoes and salmon in a large mixing bowl (it's more fun to do it with your hands!) and season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, a handful of chopped cilantro, and the juice of one lime.
-Finely chop half an onion and four cloves of garlic, then sautee for 1-2 minutes until they begin to 'sweat.'
-Remove onions and garlic from stove and add to the salmon and potato mix, along with 1 large egg.
-Mix/mash thoroughly and form tennis ball sized spheres from the mixture. Flatten the patties onto a separate plate.
-Coat the patties in the crushed chips and fry in a large pan, 3 minutes on each side. Serve warm with 2 sauces (or your own concoction) described below.
*Note: Remember, you can store fried croquettes on a cookie sheet in the oven at 170 degrees, to keep your food warm.
Creamy Cilantro Sauce:
-Combine 1 bunch of washed cilantro (stems and all), two tablespoons yogurt, half an onion, 1 raw serrano (or your favorite) pepper (stem removed), the juice of one lime, a generous amount of salt, and a splash of water into a food processor.
-Pulverize the mixture until it becomes a creamy sauce. Adjust seasonings as needed.
A Southwestern Tzatziki Sauce:
-Strain half a cup of yogurt into the sink or a large bowl using a cheese cloth (if you don't have cheese cloth, which I never do, then you can always use an old cotton rag or t-shirt, as long as it's clean). Most of the liquid should drain within 10-20 minutes.
-Remove the strained yogurt from the cloth and pour into a small bowl.
-Add 2 cloves of FINELY chopped garlic, the squeeze of half a lime, 1 handful of chopped cilantro, and a generous amount of salt.
-Mix well and adjust seasonings as needed.
