Exotic Salmon Patties with Coconut Curry Sauce...

I don't know what it is about the word 'patty'... maybe a reminder of some terrible cafeteria food or something that has freezer burn... but I really tried to think up another word to replace 'patties' for this recipe. I even tried looking it up at Thesaurus.com, but it made other recommendations for the word I was trying to find... at the top of the list - panties....

Anyways, I put 'exotic' at the front which hopefully intrigues you enough to try this one out on your own :D

And this time I have photos to share... wooooo!

This recipe is one I modified from existing recipes... the sauce is pretty unmodified and can be found in the good 'ole Joy of Cooking cookbook on page 508 - "Broiled or Grilled Shrimp or Scallops with Coconut Curry Sauce".



'Exotic' Salmon Patties:
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped, water chestnuts
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 14 3/4 oz can salmon, drained, flaked and skin and bones removed
• 1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 1 Tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 recipe Coconut curry sauce [recipe follows]

Since the sauce takes about 20 minutes, I would recommend starting with preparing the sauce.



Coconut Curry Sauce:
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/4 cup lime juice, fresh if possible
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, if desired [as the curry powder already makes this sauce fairly spicy... but if you like spice, bring it ON!!]

Combine the first three ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low.



Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce becomes thick and starts sticking together right around 15 minutes - that is when I added a dash of the red pepper flakes. Then I let it continue to simmer for another five minutes.

Place a spoonful to the side of the patty on the plate, almost like wasabi for sushi - use it just to dip because it is SPICY :P

[these pics show the progression of the sauce as it reduces - the last pic right before I removed it from the heat]



Now that your sauce is on its way... Combine the egg, coconut milk, celery, water chestnuts, curry powder, and pepper in a medium bowl.



-a side note about coconut milk... the brand I have found has a better lip on the bottom for using a can opener - the milk and oil naturally separate, so shake the can well before opening or stir it with a spoon after opening.



I also found that the salmon bones are quite hard to remove outside of the backbone. I was able to remove most of them, but a few still got through. As long as they are tiny I don't believe they can cause any harm.



Once you are finished removing the bones, add the salmon and bread crumbs; mix well with a fork.



The consistency should look something like this when you are through:



Form the mixture into six 1/2-inch-thick patties.



Place a skillet on medium heat and add the tablespoon of oil. Let the oil heat up before adding your salmon patties.



Let them brown on both sides - about 6 to 10 minutes total turning once. Once flipped, I smashed each patty down gently with my spatula. They will crumble if you press too hard :)



Once the first three are done, place them on a plate and cover with tinfoil to keep warm until ready to serve. After the second three are done, serve immediately as they don't stay hot for long!



Mmmm! Dinner :P

I will be making Beach Mix tomorrow, so look for an update to the previous post soon!

Thanks for following :)