Salmon Croquettes With Dill Sauce

Classic salmon patties were a go-to main dish in “many a hardworking Black household in the middle of the twentieth century,” note authors Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams in their book Soul Food Love. Made from canned salmon, which they say “had the advantage over other proteins of being relatively non-perishable and inexpensive,” these salmon patties are quick to make, highly adaptable, and can be enjoyed any time of day.

This recipe for salmon croquettes is lighter than the old-school version. Unlike most recipes for crab cakes and salmon cakes, it doesn’t have any flour, cornmeal, saltine cracker crumbs, or other binders traditionally used to hold the flaked salmon together (which, yes, means they’re gluten-free). Instead, the mother-daughter duo call for mixing the canned fish (though you could also use leftover salmon fillets) with chopped onion, celery, and a few eggs. If you’d care to play around, you can swap out some of the diced vegetables for bell pepper or green onions, add in some Old Bay seasoning, or fold in a heap of fresh herbs. You’ll pan-fry the patties in a large skillet until they develop a slightly crispy, golden-brown crust.

The result makes for a filling weeknight dinner—especially if you put each patty onto a bun to make salmon burgers—but they’re equally good with a small salad or set on a bed of grains with just a spritz of lemon juice. You could also make smaller patties and serve them as an appetizer at your next party. The recipe includes instructions for making a delightfully tangy and fresh yogurt-based dill sauce, but you could also serve these salmon patties with tartar sauce, lemon wedges, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or rémoulade.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘Soul Food Love’ by Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams. Buy the full book on Amazon.