For close to 100 years, Seattle’s Pike Place Public Market has been a favorite destination for food-loving locals and tourists alike. Packed with stalls offering the best quality and selection of fish found on the West Coast, restaurants serving up Pacific Northwest cuisine, and culinary shops of every persuasion, the market is a fish-lover’s paradise.
In May and June, when Copper River kings are running, Richard Hoage, a close friend and trusted fishmonger, occasionally saves some meaty bones as a special treat. I take them home and scrape away the succulent nubbins of flesh, then use Richard’s recipe to make salmon croquettes.
Servings: 4
1 egg
Pinch of salt
Pinch of freshly ground black or white pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
2 tablespoons minced flat—leaf parsley, or 1 tablespoon minced cilontro, plus additional sprigs for garnish
1 pound Copper River salmon meat, or 1 pound salmon fillet, skin and bones removed, minced by hand or by processor
1 to 1 1/2 cups unseasoned soft bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil, or 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
Lemon wedges, for garnish
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the egg, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and the minced parsley. Add the salmon and stir gently until the egg mixture is well incorporated. Add 1 cup of the bread crumbs and stir again. If the salmon mixture is sti1 too sticky to handle, add the remaining bread crumbs and stir again.
Divide the salmon into 4 portions and form into patties. Do not handle the salmon any more than absolutely necessary.
Over medium heat, place a skillet large enough to hold the patties without crowding. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the patties and cook 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Turn and cook 3 to 5 minutes more, or until the patties just turn opaque in the middle. Alternately, the patties can be baked on a lightly greased baking sheet in a 400 degrees F oven for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, or until the patties are lightly browned, or broil 4 to 6 inches from the heat source for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
Transfer the croquettes to individual plates, garnish with the parsley sprigs and lemon wedges, and serve.
FUN FACT: According to Northwest Native Americans, salmon were spirit people living in a magic village under the sea who were sent upriver to feed the human race. Indeed, in several native languages, the word for fish is the same as the word for salmon. Each year, the people prayed for the salmon to return. The arrival of the salmon was anticipated with eagerness, because it meant that the dried fish of winter could be replaced with succulent fresh salmon. Only after the bones of the first salmon were returned to the river, ensuring their annual return, could the harvest begin. Today, as in ancient times the arrival of the first spring Chinook creates excitement among Native Americans in the Northwest.
