Salmon Croquettes Recipe

This Salmon Croquettes Recipe is so simple to make especially if you have some leftover mashed potato. Crispy on the outside and so flavorful. 

One of the best – and worst – things about the post-holiday season is having a fridge stuffed with leftovers. On the one hand, yay! Don’t need to cook!

But on the other hand… mashed potatoes for the third day in a row? It doesn’t sound too appetizing.

So how can you deal with this little conundrum?

It’s simple, really. Don’t throw out your food – transform it so that it feels different and delicious again. 

All you need is leftover mashed potatoes (you can also make it from scratch if you are all out of leftovers), leftover salmon (you can also use fresh or canned salmon), and day-old bread for some homemade breadcrumbs – along with some other simple ingredients you will surely have in your pantry or fridge.

By the time you’re finished fiddling around with these ingredients, you’ll have the makings of a quick meal that no one need know is the final form of a bunch of leftovers!

How to make salmon croquettes

First off, prepare your leftovers: mashed potatoes, salmon, and breadcrumbs.

If you don’t have any leftover mashed potatoes, boil a couple of russet potatoes.

If you don’t have any leftover salmon, you can bake some on the spot – see the recipe below – or you can use canned instead.

As far as the breadcrumbs are concerned, it is just a matter of placing day-old dry bread in the food processor and pulse until you get bread crumbs. If the bread does not appear dry enough, place it in the oven for 10-15 minutes at around 300 degrees before pulsing it.

We can now prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a large bowl, combine the egg, garlic, green onions, bread crumbs, chopped chives, grainy mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper. 

Then, add the mashed potatoes; stir.

Is your salmon ready? Good. Flake it up and stir it into the mixture. 

I will now use my disher to scoop out 9 balls of the salmon mixture. I will then cut each ball in two in order to make 18 salmon croquettes. If you recall, I used this same principle when I made my Italian Potato Croquettes.

Now, shape the mixture into log shapes (or into whatever shapes you like – spheres are great, and so are patties). Refrigerate for about 15-20 minutes so that they get a little firm.

Heat up olive oil on a skillet, about 1 tablespoon at a time. And pan fry in batches until they are golden and crispy on the outside. Remember to shake the pan back and forth for a smooth surface.

Before you know it, you’re done!

As you can probably tell from the procedure I just outlined for you, I keep the herbs and spices in this recipe minimal – I like for the tastes of the potatoes and salmon to stand on their own. But you can very easily add whatever herbs/spices you like best and personalize this recipe according to your tastes.

I almost forgot to mention, I prefer to use baked salmon when forming my croquettes, but you don’t need to! Chef John (one of my favorites) uses raw salmon to make his fresh salmon croquettes. Here is his recipe.

You are going to love these for their ease and simplicity.

They are great for brunch or even a light lunch.

Enjoy them with yogurt sauce or this no mayo tartar sauce.

Recipe inspiration

I have already written about my love for recipes from Canadian Living, a magazine I subscribed to for many decades. This recipe was inspired and adapted from the January issue of Canadian Living, back in 2014. 

As you can see, the original recipe was actually for potato & salmon cakes – but, in addition to other changes I made, I just preferred them in croquette form.

I guess the croquette form is a call-back to my Best Homemade Italian Potato Croquettes, which my mom used to make when I was young.

Even though these croquettes are totally different taste-wise, I can’t help but be reminded of my mother when I make them. I guess it’s a pretty firm association in my head!

My mom had some recipes – especially her croquettes recipes (both the potato and the rice)– which she made over and over again for decades.

First, she made them for her husband, then for her kids, and finally for her grandkids. And if she had lived long enough to see the birth of my first grandchild (what would have been her first great-grandchild), I know she would have continued to make the old classics, steeped in family history.

As my family continues to grow, I hope to build the same legacy around good food that she did – and I know that these potato & salmon croquettes will definitely be a part of that legacy.

So cheers to leftover salmon recipes.

Simple, easy, and delicious, I know this is one that I’ll be making for years to come!

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She loves biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

Ciao for now,

Maria 

★★★★★ If you have made this Salmon and Potatoes Croquettes recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!