Salmon Patties & Puerto Rican Rice

Tonight's dinner consisted of two of my childhood favorites, salmon patties and Puerto Rican rice with gandules (pigeon peas).

Salmon Patties

The first recipe, salmon patties was popular with my mother and her aunt Helen (my great aunt).  Aunt Helen is 83 years old and still makes them on a regular basis. To make these, you will need:


2 cans (14.75 oz) of Pink Alaskan Salmon
2 slices of white or wheat sandwich bread
1 egg
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt


Open the cans of salmon and drain off the liquid.  Carefully remove any skin and discard.  Next, gently break open the fish to reveal the spine and remove all of the bones.  Do this in chunks to make sure you get all of them.  When all of the bones and skin are removed, put the fish in a bowl and break in to fine pieces.

Next break up the two slices of bread and place in a food processor.  Pulse the bread until it becomes fresh bread crumbs.

Add bread crumbs, egg, salt & pepper to the crumbled salmon and mix (I use my hands) completely.  Form in to patties.  I usually get 5 or 6.  I make them a little smaller than a baseball.  Heat up a non stick or cast iron pan and add about 2 TBSP of oil.  Add the patties and cook until golden and crispy turning them over when they are brown on one side.

Yum! Time to make the rice!

Rice with Pigeon Peas

I learned this recipe from my aunt Betty who is my mom's youngest sister.  She had some Puerto Rican friends who taught her how to make it and I fell in love with the recipe.  It is a hit at our family reunion as well. Make sure you use medium grain rice it is the only kind that will work.  I know because I tried it with regular rice and it was crunchy and ruined the whole recipe.  Currently I use Goya sofrito and sazon seasonings.  My only concern is that both contain MSG.  I am going to work on making my own recipe for each, but that will take a little experimentation.  More to follow on that! In the meantime, I don't make this enough to be overly concerned.

2 TBSP oil (Canola, Olive or Vegetable will work)
6 ounces sofrito
2 cups medium grain rice
4 cups water
1 packet of sazon
1 15 ounce can of Green Pigeon Peas drained

In a pot with a heavy bottom, add the oil and sofrito. Cook for a minute or two until hot.  Add the water, sazon, rice and pigeon peas, bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. 

Reduce the heat to a simmer (low) and cover.  Cook for 15 minutes, checking one time half way through - I give it a stir, and put the lid back on.  After 15 minutes check the rice to see if it is too soupy.  It should be slightly wet.  Taste to make sure rice is soft.  If it is, then it is done.  Serve hot.

Tonight's Dinner.........

 I top my salmon patties with my homemade peach preserves.  Sometimes I use mango chutney.  Happy Cooking!