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Home » Fish » Salmon and Trout » Fresh Salmon Patties

Fresh Salmon Patties

By Hank Shaw on February 5, 2019, Updated March 27, 2021 - 5 Comments

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5 from 7 votes
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Fresh salmon patties grilled with a summer salad
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

One of the cooler things to do when you catch a salmon (or any large fish, really) is to harvest “spoon meat” to make fresh salmon patties. I say “fresh” because many people make salmon patties from canned salmon.

That “spoon meat” I’m talking about is when you use a spoon to scrape down the carcass, leaving it almost totally clean — and you with lots of meat you might otherwise throw away.

On a salmon, this meat is unusually fatty, and makes great patties or cakes. (It also makes a great salmon tartare, too.) What’s the difference between a salmon patty and a salmon cake? To me, it’s mostly a matter of the binder. Fish cakes to my mind have mashed potato or lots of bread or breadcrumbs in them, where patties are more meat-centric.

Possibly it is a distinction without a difference, who knows?

It is tricky to make fresh salmon patties that hold together without some sort of binder, however, so I do use a little bit of torn-up bread and one egg white — just enough to keep the patties moist and together. These still have a good feel to them, though.

scraping meat from a salmon carcass
Photo by Hank Shaw

My salmon patties have a Scandinavian feel to them, with a bit of sour cream and dill. Salmon + sour cream + dill = a perfect combination to my mind. The little bit of sour cream in the patty helps keep it moister; dried out salmon patties are a sad thing, but all too common.

I also go bunless, serve fresh salmon patties with a zippy summer salad and top everything with a little homemade salmon caviar. It’s as close to spa food as I get: Light, relatively low in fat, clean.

salmon patties on the grill
Photo by Hank Shaw

Incidentally, if you want to buy some of the finest salmon in the world, salmon that I had a hand in catching, you can order it online from Taku River Reds, the fishing cooperative out of Juneau, Alaska I work for in the summertime. If you order whole fish (they’re all cleaned on the boat, many by me!), it’s cheaper — and you get that awesome spoon meat!

Salmon patties with a summer salad
Print Recipe
5 from 7 votes

Salmon Patties with Fennel-Watercress Salad

This is how I like to eat salmon patties in summertime. It's a light supper good for when the weather is super hot; a glass of white wine, dry rose or a lighter beer like a pilsner or lager is a good accompaniment. You can of course put the salmon patties on a bun and then have a real salmon burger. If you go this route, maybe top the patty with some cole slaw and some mayo or remoulade.
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 397kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

SALMON PATTIES

  • 1 1/2 pounds salmon
  • 2 pieces of bread, crust removed and torn to bits
  • 2 tablespoons minced onion
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons dill, chopped
  • Salmon caviar (optional)

FENNEL-WATERCRESS SALAD

  • 1 fennel bulb, sliced thin
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 cucumber, peeled if the skin is bitter
  • 1 tablespoon pickled mustard seeds (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons sunflower walnut or squash seed oil
  • 2 cups watercress

Instructions

  • Either grind your salmon, the onion and the bread through the fine die of the grinder (how I do it), or pulse it a few times in a food processor. Put the mixture in a bowl and mix in the egg white, white pepper, salt, sour cream and dill. Form into patties. Put the patties in the fridge while you make the salad.
  • Toss the sliced fennel and red onion with a little salt and the lemon juice and let it marinate for 20 minutes. Cut the cucumber lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon. Slice it thinly and add it to the bowl with the fennel and onion. Stir in the pickled mustard seeds, black pepper, sugar and sunflower oil and set aside.
  • I like to grill my salmon burgers. Get your grill very hot and scrape down the grates with a wire brush. Dip a paper towel into some vegetable oil and use tongs to wipe down the grill grates. Set the salmon patties on the grill and cook with the grill cover up for about 3 minutes. Flip and grill for another 3 minutes or so.
  • When you are ready to serve, toss the watercress in with the rest of the salad and serve with the salmon patties. Top the patties with the salmon caviar if you have it.

Nutrition

Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 716mg | Potassium: 1266mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 796IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg
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Filed Under: American Recipes, Recipe, Salmon and Trout

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for Tim ThiessenTim Thiessen says

    August 15, 2021 at 9:59 am

    Great recipe. Made a few minor tweaks – added green onion and served with warm garlic butter on top. Fantastic recipe as always Hank!

    Reply
  2. Avatar for Rob WRob W says

    October 4, 2020 at 8:00 pm

    Made this recipe with some fresh coho, and how cow were they fantastic! Light but lots of flavor. I need to get back to the river to catch more fish for more spoon meat!

    Reply
  3. Avatar for Aliahu “Alli” BeyAliahu “Alli” Bey says

    July 13, 2020 at 5:43 pm

    Right or wrong I used this recipe as the base for a pan full of salmon meatballs I made to add to Hank’s Crab Pasta recipe, I used ground King because I have a few of them around here in Juneau these days. I accidentally overcooked them but they still turned out amazing especially when covered in a heaving coating of crab pasta sauce! The only thing missing was the Bottarga which is kinda hard to come by and I am finding is even trickier to make.

    Reply
  4. Avatar for Aliahu “Alli” BeyAliahu “Alli” Bey says

    July 12, 2020 at 11:11 am

    I learned how to “scrape” salmon carcass last year from a family friend in Gustavus, Alaska they called it “Salmon Scrapple”. I coincidently found this Recipe and fell in love. We normally eat these like burgers with a spicy mayo or tartar sauce. My wife prefers to avoid the bun and loves the watercress salad, or when the chef is feeling lazy just a simple lettuce wrap.

    Reply
  5. Avatar for DorianDorian says

    February 14, 2020 at 7:21 pm

    This is my go-to template for salmon patties – I do swap in potato flakes for the bread though. Also, since dairy and I aren’t friends these days I’ve swapped the sour cream for home made mayo, or nut based yoghurt, or even a mild aioli. Works well regardless, with slight tweaks to balance moisture.

    Reply

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Hi, my name is Hank Shaw. I am a James Beard Award-winning author and chef and I focus my energies on wild foods: Foraging, fishing, hunting. I write cookbooks as well as this website, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild game, fish, or edible wild plants and mushrooms, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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