The Salmon Loaf That Almost Got Away Recipe

"I hate salmon, which is a shame because I live on Puget Sound and salmon live in Puget Sound. My husband, however, LOVES salmon, and mourned the loss of his mother's recipe when she passed. His sister had it, though, and I traded her a filet for it! I can't stress enough that the measurements are approximate (the original recipe had none, just ingredients), so don't thrash me, but if you've made a meatloaf and really get your hands into it, you can kinda tell when the consistency is right, right? This is best using salmon that's been a bit undercooked. Then it's not too dry after time in the oven."

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first eight ingredients in a bowl large enough to really get your hands into. Mush it together well manually. If it feels dry or loose, throw another egg in there. Too wet? More panko! You want it to hold together without being too heavy.

Step 2

Place in a loaf pan, or on a baking sheet with parchment paper (my favorite). That way you can make your own shape: Football, hot air balloon, what have you! I tried making it look like a pig's head once, just to protest having salmon for dinner.

Step 3

Pop it in the oven for 50 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile......

Step 4

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it just stops foaming. Then add the flour and whisk for a couple of minutes to chase off that floury taste. Slowly add the milk and stir pretty constantly, until thickened. Season to taste. This step really takes only about 15-20 minutes, so you might want to hold off for a bit after putting the salmon in the oven.

Step 5

Take the loaf from the oven when done, slice it however you like and pour the sauce over all. Or, if you'd rather, serve the sauce on the side for individual tastebuds. Voila! Happy husband! And happy wife too, because I shop online the next day!