I thought that living in a place like Alaska, getting my family to eat seafood -- and salmon, in particular -- on a regular basis would not take as much effort as it actually has. It requires more than my share of culinary tricks and sometimes finds me depleted of arguments, giving in to the requests for chicken or beef, once again. But recently I was part of a project to help promote Alaska-grown produce and wild Alaska seafood. We cooked recipes from Alaska-based chefs and food writers that were then photographed by the brilliant photographer Ash Adams.
With recipes for everything from crispy rockfish with celery root purée from chef Andrew Brown in Girdwood to Homer chef Mandy Dixon's salmon burgers with rhubarb chutney, we all came away from the weeklong photo shoot with a renewed energy and enthusiasm for the bounty of Alaska's waters and lands. Is there anything better than being able to eat locally, supporting our farmers and fishermen?
As part of the promotion, I was asked to demonstrate how to cook with canned salmon for a group of journalists in New York City. I can eat salmon every week. I love it smoked and seared, crusted and poached, frittered and grilled. But before moving to Alaska, I don't think I had ever used canned salmon. Now I have the good fortune to have neighbors and friends who share their home-canned catch, sometimes with added goodies like jalapeño slices and lemons.
So here's the recipe I came up with to celebrate canned salmon. But keep in mind that this is also great with leftover cooked salmon. If you use store-bought canned, make sure the label says "Wild Alaska Salmon." I like serving these in Alaska-grown cabbage leaves for their crunch and sweetness, but you could serve them on a bed of lettuce or some grilled bread.
Salmon cakes with spicy turmeric garlic
Make the spicy turmeric garlic first so you can use the strained oil for roasting the vegetables and cooking the cakes.
Makes 4 servings
Time: 45 minutes
Salmon cakes:
1 heaping cup diced parsnip (about 1 medium)
1 heaping cup diced golden beet or carrot (about 1 medium)
Oil from making spicy turmeric garlic (recipe below)
1/4 cup finely minced Alaska-grown celery (about 1 stalk)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeño or serrano chilies (about 1 to 2)
1 green onion, minced
12 ounces canned wild Alaska sockeye salmon (remove and discard any bones or skin, if desired) or leftover cooked salmon
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 large eggs, lightly whisked
Serve with: fresh cabbage leaves; Maldon flake salt; spicy turmeric garlic; cucumber yogurt
Spicy turmeric garlic:
Canola, grapeseed or avocado oil, for shallow frying
6 to 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 jalapeños or serrano chilies, stemmed and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Cucumber yogurt:
1 cucumber
2 cups plain yogurt
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread parsnip and beat evenly on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with some of the strained oil from making the spicy turmeric garlic. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until fork tender. Move vegetables to a cutting board; give them another chop; add to a mixing bowl. Add celery, jalapeño and green onion. Stir in salmon; season lightly with salt and pepper, and taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Stir in egg to just combine.
2. Pour a light coating of oil from spicy turmeric garlic into a large skillet over medium-high heat; if needed, add a bit more oil. Form salmon mixture into 8 round cakes/patties. When skillet is hot (cakes will sizzle when pan is hot enough) add salmon cakes. Cook about 2 minutes until golden brown on one side. Gently turn and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with Maldon flake salt. Serve warm in cabbage leaves, topped with spicy turmeric garlic and cucumber yogurt.
Spicy turmeric garlic:
Pour oil to about 1/2-inch high in a heavy-bottom pan and place over medium-high heat. When oil is very hot but not smoking, add garlic and jalapeño; turn once or twice until golden and crisp (if it burns, start over). Add turmeric and stir. Using a slotted spoon or spider, move garlic and jalapeño to a small bowl; set aside. Strain remaining oil through a sieve, discarding any solids; use strained oil for roasting vegetables and frying salmon cakes.
Cucumber yogurt:
Grate cucumber and mix into yogurt. Chill mixture if making ahead to serve later.
Kim Sunée ate and lived in Europe for 10 years before working as a food editor for Southern Living magazine and Cottage Living magazine. Her writing has appeared in Food & Wine, The Oxford American and Asian American Poetry and Writing. She is the best-selling author of "Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home" (Grand Central) and her most recent book is "A Mouthful of Stars" (Andrews McMeel). For more food and travel, visit kimsunee.com.