Traveling... no internet

It hasn't stopped me from cooking.. shrimp fajitas for super bowl sunday, just making it up as I go.  I hope to catch up when I get home in 2 weeks! Till then... as Julia would say, bon appetit!

Patty cake Patty cake....

Dad loves fried things... fried chicken, fried fish, fried crab or  fried salmon patties.  Of course, I,  being raised in the south, also have an appreciation for fried food.   I grew up making fried chicken for Sunday Dinner every week.  As I grew up in Alabama when we caught fish or crab out of the Mobile Bay, we immediately fried it all up right outside on the grill in a big pot of hot oil.  I have to say my favorite food of all is fried gulf shrimp, although fried crab claws run a close second!  I also adore crab cakes, and although they aren't deep fried, I like a pan fried cake to have some qualities of deep fried food.  I have a recipe for fried patties that can be used for crab, salmon, tuna or even for leftover fish that can accomplish that.  I really prefer blue crab, jumbo lump type. Whether you use fresh or canned fish or crab, they always turn out really scrumpcious! 

I always find the salmon patty to be a nice treat.   I enjoy using the small sized cans (6 oz)of wild caught salmon that I can get for a good price in Costco.  It has all meat, has no skin or many bones like some of the larger cans I have used. 

Last night I used 3 cans of salmon, one of those cellophane packets of saltine crackers (that comes in a box with 2 or 4 of these packets in it), 1/4 diced  onion, and a few tablespoons of mayonaise ( I'm allergic to eggs and using mayonaise puts minimal egg in each patty).   I usually like to put diced celery in salmon, tuna or leftover fish patties.  If I were using jumbo lump crab, I'd eliminate the celery (unless I'm using pasturized crab), and I'd use only half as many crackers for the binding so that the crab taste would star in the patty.  I hate a crab cake that is too bready!  Now with salmon patties made from a can, I think a little more cracker gives the denser fish a lighter texture.  I like to use saltine crackers for my patties, they are salted, so I don't add any more salt to the mixture, and they add a crunch factor that bread crumbs or panko just can't. 

I put the packet of crackers in a big mixing bowl and crunch them up.  I usually use my fist and a wooden spatula to do that .  I like the many sizes this produces.  If I use a canned product, I always drain the liquid off and then go through it so that the fish is broken into pieces.  I don't like to add the bones that can come with the salmon, so I look for bits of that and try to get it out.  You don't have to do this, I just do.
So after mixing this together with the crushed crackers and the mayonaise, I form small patties, not working the mixture too much, just enough that it sticks together.  I use my hands for this whole process.  It mixes without breaking up the ingredients, especially if you are using the more delicate lump crab.  I like a thinner type patty as opposed to a ball type.  I like the crunch factor that the smaller patty has to offer.    I then put the patties on a plate, cover them lightly with plastic wrap and put them in the fridge for an hour or so.  Sometimes I only have time for 15 minutes set time, but if you let them set in the fridge, they stay together better when you are cooking them. 

I cook my patties over a medium heat in a cast iron skillet.  Some people like to use a deeper amount of oil when they fry, but I use enough olive oil layer to only to cover the bottom of the pan.   I let it get very hot before I put the patties in.  They should sizzle when you put them in.  I usually use a bit of cracker to see if the heat is ready.  It will sizzle when it hits the hot oil if it is ready.  Don't crowd them, but you can cook several patties at one time.  It really depends on how big your patty is, how your stove cooks and how you turn your food.  Due to the delicacy of the fish cake in general, you only want to turn it once, but if you need room to make the turn smoothly, put fewer patties in the pan.  I'd say 4-6 patties at a time works best.  I usually cook them about 3-4 minutes on each side.  I want the sweetness of the onion to sweat out just a little and it to be tender, yet still a little crunchy.  I want the patty hot all the way through, and I want that nice golden crunch of the crispy saltine and fish on the outside. I drain them on a paper towel before serving.  

To accompany the salmon patties we had a simple salad of red leaf lettuce, tomato and avocado, and a light olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing, and green beans that I cooked over medium heat in chicken broth till they were fork tender. 

Saumon Appetit!