Leftovers Makeover Salmon Croquettes And Sauce Recipe

It's always a bonus if you can transform leftovers into a new and exciting dish, and that's exactly what Foodie recipe developer Julianne De Witt achieves with this leftovers makeover salmon croquettes and sauce recipe. If you cooked a large piece of salmon yesterday, this is the perfect way to serve it once again — this time, with a tasty lemon caper aioli.

For those unfamiliar with this tasty patty-like form, De Witt describes, "A croquette is a breaded ball or patty made from meat or vegetables fried in oil." As she notes, "The word croquette comes from the French work 'croquer' which means 'to crunch,'" and that's exactly the textural experience that's in store. This tasty recipe is a great way to serve fish, and it's easily paired with your favorite sides. De Witt shares, "I like to serve croquettes with a crisp green salad for a light lunch and would add a nice rice pilaf on the side for dinner."

If you don't want to eat salmon two days in a row, De Witt confirms that the croquettes and aioli can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to three months. Then, just warm them up in the oven, air fryer, or in a frying pan — no need to defrost.

De Witt opts for convenience with her lemon caper aioli, and swaps in mayonnaise instead of starting from scratch with egg yolk and olive oil. Then, get capers (chopped), garlic cloves (crushed), lemon juice, and sea salt. 

For the croquettes, use cooked salmon (flaked), or alternatively, De Witt comments, "Canned salmon can be used in place of fresh but ensure that the salmon doesn't contain any bones or skin and that it is fully drained of liquid." Next, you'll need mayonnaise, red pepper (finely diced), scallions (finely chopped), panko, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, parsley (minced), Old Bay seasoning, salt, egg (beaten), and olive oil. 

The egg is used as a binder here and helps the patty stay together as it cooks in the frying pan. If you don't have Old Bay seasoning in your spice cabinet, De Witt recommends a blend of paprika, celery salt, and black pepper instead.

Prepare the aioli by combining ½ cup mayonnaise, capers, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the croquettes: Combine the salmon, mayonnaise, red pepper, scallions, panko, Worcestershire, Dijon, parsley, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and egg. Mix well.

Using a measuring cup, scoop ⅓ cup of the salmon mixture and form into a croquette.

Repeat this process until there are 6 croquettes.

Drizzle the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

Place the croquettes into the hot frying pan, working in batches if necessary, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until browned.

Flip the croquettes and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until browned and cooked throughout.

Remove the croquettes from the pan and serve with the aioli.

There are variations of croquettes across cultures, but it appears that the original recipe (at least the first recorded recipe) comes from France. As De Witt explains, "Croquettes can be found in French cookbooks as early as the 17th century." At the time, François Massialot (a chef for royalty) had a recipe that consisted of meat, truffles, and marrow, mixed together with egg as a binder, then coated in breading and deep fried in lard. Since a croquette merely describes the nature of the dish, the contents can widely vary.

De Witt shares some international variations, such as Indian aloo tikki, made with mixed vegetables and potato. In Sri Lanka, she notes that croquettes are typically shaped into rolls consisting of fish, potatoes, and spices. Over in Japan, De Witt mentions korokke, "made with vegetables and potatoes or seafood blended with white sauce to form a patty." Back in Europe, she brings up crocchette from Italy, made with mashed potato and egg, and popular arancini, made with rice. Meanwhile, Spain serves croquetas made with ham and a creamy bechamel sauce.

Salmon croquettes aren't too tricky to make, but keeping them intact is one of the potential issues you might face. De Witt has a few tips to ensure they retain their shape so you can enjoy a croquette as it was meant to be enjoyed. "After forming the croquettes, if they are really soft, they can be placed in the fridge prior to frying for 15 minutes up to an hour to firm up," she recommends. This helps the ingredients bind together better, making it less likely that the patty will fall apart in the frying pan.

When you're prepping the veggies to mix with the salmon and other ingredients, De Witt notes it's important to finely dice them so that they cook through. Otherwise, you'll end up with crunchy bites in the tender filling, whereas the goal is to have the exterior crispy shell be crunchy. As well, if the vegetables are too big, they won't properly blend in with the rest of the croquettes mixture, increasing the chance of the patties breaking apart. 

Once you're ready to cook them, De Witt instructs, "Place the croquettes in a hot pan with plenty of oil so that they don't stick." And don't go flipping them back and forth — "Croquettes can be delicate, so flip them only once so that they don't break apart," she warns.