Ingredients:

• ½            Medium Onion, finely chopped (I like red onions, but yellow or Vidalia are great as well)

• ¼            Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped

• ½            Celery Stalk, finely chopped

• 1             Green Onion, sliced finely

• ¼ cup    Mayonnaise (we grew up using Hellmann’s but use what you like)

• 1 Tbsp   Dijon mustard

• 1 egg     lightly beaten

• 1 tsp      Imperial Blackened Blend

• 1 tsp Imperial Creole Blend

• 1 tsp      Hot sauce, (I like Louisiana Brand, about 3-4 shakes if you don’t want to measure)

• ½            Lemon; Zest and Juice

• 1 can     Salmon, (14.75oz can), recommend wild caught Pacific or similar

• 3 Tbsp   Breadcrumbs, plain

   

• Oil for frying, recommend peanut, grape seed, or avocado (or ½ oil and ½ butter)

• Chopped parsley for garnish

Method:

1. Stir together the first 10 ingredients (everything except the salmon and breadcrumbs)

2. Fold in the salmon and then the breadcrumbs.  The mixture is going to feel very gooey, and you might be tempted to add more breadcrumbs.  Rest assured, that those breadcrumbs will be soaking up a lot of the moisture.  Adding too much breadcrumbs will create a dry crumbly croquette. 

3. Portion out the mixture into patties on a baking sheet (line with parchment paper and sprinkle some breadcrumbs).  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes.  This will allow the aforementioned breadcrumbs to tight up the mixture and make for easier pan frying.  4oz for dinner portions, 2oz for hors d’oeuvres

4. In a skillet heat a moderate amount of oil.  For some this may be a few tablespoons, for others who want a restaurant style crisp, it could be a ¼ inch of oil in the skillet.  For health-conscious individuals, a light misting of oil and baking a 375 degrees until golden might be in order.  I personally like to have a rather shallow puddle of oil in my skillet for a light pan fry.  Once the oil is hot, fry on medium heat until golden.  If making in batches, keep in an oven preheated to 200 degrees and place finished croquettes on another parchment lined sheet pan until ready to serve

Makes about 4 4-oz croquettes.

Family Tricks:

• Canned Salmon – this is a bit different from getting a can of tuna which is typically just the lump meat.  Most canned salmon is a full section cut that includes skin and bones.  Typically, the skin is not an issue, and most of the smaller bones become softened during the canning process; however, I typically break the fillet apart to remove the vertebrae and would recommend it as a standard practice.

• I enjoy a bit of the Imperial Blackened and a bit of the Creole blend. You may prefer all Imperial or all Creole, or maybe get crazy with it and sub out some lemon pepper.

• If you are making a large batch of these, an ice cream scoop is a great tool to ensure all the croquettes are portioned evenly.  Ice cream scoops conveniently come in various sizes so a 2oz croquette for an appetizer or a 4oz croquette for a croquette burger or main course item are great.  

• Also, for a large dinner party, these keep amazingly well under refrigeration and can be made up to a day in advance of cooking.  Just be sure to make sure they are well wrapped so they do not dry out.  I’ve layered croquettes, sprinkled a bit of breadcrumbs on the tops, covered with plastic wrap and layered additional pans of croquette on top of one another.  This is a convenient way to store a large batch under refrigeration and also keeps them nice and flat.

• These are great as is, served with a sauce or made into a sandwich.  Recommended sauces include:

  • Remoulade (my brother’s favorite)

  • Gribiche (my favorite)

  • Persillade

  • Garlic aioli

  • Dill sauce

  • Tartar sauce