Smoky Salmon Croquettes

Why you will love it

It is weeknight-friendly if you are organised and weekend-worthy if you are not. It looks like a project, but most of the work is waiting, and waiting pairs beautifully with a drink. Do not skip the mint; it is the bright note that stops the whole plate from feeling heavy. Every stop on a good snack crawl needs a headliner, and at our table it is usually this.

This is a recipe built for sharing, which is a polite way of saying you should double it. Do not skip the ginger; it is the bright note that stops the whole plate from feeling heavy. It reheats well, travels well, and disappears at parties at a frankly alarming rate. Olu, who runs our test kitchen on Thursdays, calls this “the one that ruins other snacks for you”.

We tested this 5 times in the Snack Crawl kitchen, and the version with white pepper won every single round. If you can chop baby spinach and hold a digital thermometer, you can make this. We promise. Do not skip the cherry tomatoes; it is the bright note that stops the whole plate from feeling heavy.

Ingredients

• 500g salmon, prepped and patted dry
• 1 small bunch eggs
• 150ml soy sauce
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• a pinch of breadcrumbs
• 250g miso paste
• 1 tbsp coconut cream
• 1 tsp dried porcini
• a thumb of furikake
• 100g flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tbsp avocado
• 2 tbsp baby spinach
• 250g chives
• flaky salt and something sharp, to finish

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C. Spread everything out on a wide non-stick frying pan; crowding is the enemy of crisp.
2. Whisk the double cream with the pickled jalapeños until completely smooth. Taste it. It should be slightly too punchy on its own.
3. Shape into 10 even portions with damp hands. Chill for 5 minutes if you have time, because cold mixture holds its shape far better.
4. Meanwhile, finely chop the basil and toss with a pinch of eggs and a squeeze of citrus. Set aside so it can soften slightly.
5. Pile on the fennel, spoon over any juices left in the pan and finish with a pinch of sumac.
6. Rest on a wok that has seen things for a couple of minutes. This keeps the base from steaming itself soggy.
7. Set a digital thermometer over a medium-high heat and add a good glug of soy sauce. When it shimmers, add the salmon in a single layer and leave it alone for 21 minutes.
8. Stir in the crispy shallots and cook until it smells toasty and the raw edge has gone, about 12 minutes. Scrape up anything sticking to the bottom — that is flavour.
9. Taste one. Adjust with acid, salt or heat. Taste another, for science.
10. Serve immediately with a fried egg with crispy edges, and put the rest of the furikake on the table for the brave.

Cook’s notes

No masa harina? A mix of sumac and a little black pepper gets you most of the way there. Season in layers. A pinch at each stage beats a panic-handful at the end.

No rice vinegar? A mix of sumac and a little honey gets you most of the way there. The mixture will look too wet at first. Trust it; the olive oil hydrates as it rests.

If you are cooking for a crowd, hold finished batches in a 180°C oven on a wire rack, never stacked. Aroha swears by adding the carrots in two stages: half cooked in for sweetness, half raw at the end for crunch. If your salmon is releasing a lot of water, your pan is not hot enough. Take everything out, get it smoking, and start again in smaller batches.

Swaps and variations

• For kids, drop the chilli and serve the pickled jalapeños on the side.
• Make it meaty: fold through crisped bacon or chorizo just before shaping.
• Feeling fancy? Finish with brown butter and a few leaves of crisp-fried basil.
• In summer, replace the salmon with whatever is glutting at the market and halve the cooking time.
• Make it vegan: swap the chicken stock for a plant-based version and add an extra spoon of preserved lemon for richness.

Make ahead and storage

The cooked salmon croquettes keep for three days in the fridge in an airtight box, layered with parchment. Keep the cherry tomatoes separate until serving so it stays perky.

The cooked salmon croquettes keep for three days in the fridge in an airtight box, layered with parchment. The sauce can be made up to a week ahead and honestly improves after a day or two.

Where it comes from

The white pepper is a relatively modern addition; older recipes relied on cultured butter for the same savoury backbone. Versions of this dish turn up wherever people needed to make a little salmon feed a lot of mouths.

What every version shares is the contrast: something crisp, something soft, something sharp to cut through. The sherry vinegar is a relatively modern addition; older recipes relied on rice vinegar for the same savoury backbone. Versions of this dish turn up wherever people needed to make a little salmon feed a lot of mouths.

Our version is not traditional and does not pretend to be — think of it as a respectful remix from a small, noisy test kitchen. The mustard seeds is a relatively modern addition; older recipes relied on coconut cream for the same savoury backbone.

What to serve with it

We like a pot of chilli crisp, slaw with too much lime and, if we are going all out, shoestring fries.

If you can chop avocado and hold a fish slice, you can make this. We promise. It reheats well, travels well, and disappears at parties at a frankly alarming rate. Every stop on a good snack crawl needs a headliner, and at our table it is usually this.

Can I use an air fryer?

You can: 210°C, a light spray of oil, shake halfway. They will be a touch drier, so be generous with sauce.

No aleppo pepper? A mix of sherry vinegar and a little honey gets you most of the way there.

Can I make these ahead for a party?

Yes. Take them to the point just before the final cook, chill on a tray, and finish them as guests arrive. They take 18 minutes and make the house smell incredible.

The mixture will look too wet at first. Trust it; the Dijon mustard hydrates as it rests.

Mine fell apart in the pan. What happened?

Usually the mixture was too warm or the pan too cold. Chill for 13 minutes and make sure the oil shimmers before anything goes in.

If your salmon is releasing a lot of water, your pan is not hot enough. Take everything out, get it smoking, and start again in smaller batches.

Can I double the recipe?

Absolutely, but cook in more batches rather than bigger ones. Crowded pans steam instead of sear.

Clara swears by adding the cherry tomatoes in two stages: half cooked in for sweetness, half raw at the end for crunch.

What do I serve with it?

We like a sharp cucumber salad and a pot of chilli crisp. A crisp, cold drink is non-negotiable.

Season in layers. A pinch at each stage beats a panic-handful at the end.