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Granny’s salmon patties simple and delicious

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Hannah Edwards

Growing up, my favorite food as a child was my Granny’s (Bobby Jean Outlaw) salmon patties. Anytime she got a hankering to make them, or maybe it was an excuse just to see me, we’d get a call on the landline and she’d say [to a family member], “Bring Hannah over, I’m making salmon patties.”

She was a simple, country woman who the whole north side of Charlotte knew as the best cook around, and she’d feed everyone that walked into her house. But the salmon patties were for me!

Granny’s salmon patties were simple, and that’s the way I liked them – no herbs, no extra veggies. I’d sit down when I got there and would literally eat seven or more, and that trend continued into my adulthood.

They are such a nostalgic food for me, and I honestly think they are one of my favorite things to eat to this day. I make them just like Granny did, but I choose to source “real-food” ingredients (meaning not highly processed).

Serve with a big pot of beans or your favorite vegetable, chopped white onion and hot peppers on the side, and a hoe-cake. Enjoy this easy, straight-forward recipe! 

SALMON PATTIES

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 cans of sustainably sourced wild sockeye salmon (such as Minnow Brand)
  • 2 locally pastured duck eggs (or chicken eggs)
  • 1 good heap of Duke’s mayonnaise
  • 1 small spoonful of Dijon mustard
  • 1 shallot, chopped, or green onions, chopped
  • 1 squeeze of a whole lemon and some lemon zest (One teaspoon of pure organic lemon juice works great as well.)
  • 1 good dash of real salt and some fresh cracked black
  • pepper
  • 1/2 cup of flour (such as Hayden Mill Flour) or less –(check consistency as you sprinkle; a gluten-free alternative is to use smashed-up pork rinds to bind it altogether, or ground corn flakes.)
  • Local grass-fed ghee, tallow, lard, or high-quality butter for frying. I do not recommend hydrogenated oils.

Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. On medium-high heat, place a big heap of local grass-fed ghee (or one of the other alternatives listed) in your cast iron skillet and heat until bubbly. Take a large spoon and scoop out a good-sized dollop of the salmon patty mixture into your hot skillet. Don’t try to form them; just let them fry in the shape they want to be in the pan. Do this repeatedly until you have filled your pan. Let patties fry until a dark golden brown, and then flip to the other side. You may lightly press down on them after flipping. Fry to your liking. I personally like them crispy!

That’s it! Super easy and so delicious. I never ate them with any sauce, but they’re great with a homemade tartar sauce, or even ketchup or mustard. Stack your plate seven high and enjoy!

Hannah and her husband, Alan, are owners of Yonder in Franklin.