Salmon Rösti

So, not long ago I was approached by a scout from a major food network, looking for undiscovered culinary talent.  I was asked to show my mettle by presenting an appealing recipe that makes use of only common ingredients found in the average household pantry...

I am sooooo lying!  What really happened was, I forgot to plan dinner (again,) and I was scrambling around at 5:00 trying to find anything whatsoever to cook.  Not so much as a thawed hamburger in the fridge.  Pasta?  No, we don't eat that any more.  Omelets?  We had that for breakfast.  Chinese takeout was starting to look like a dangerously good option, when suddenly I stumbled across a couple cans of wild Alaskan salmon.

Dinner is saved!

This is stuff I always have in the house:

• 2 6-oz. cans of wild salmon
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3 teaspoons dry dill weed
• 4 cups thawed or rehydrated hash browns
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 or 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 teaspoons minced capers

Rehydrate the hash browns by adding hot water to the carton.  An equal amount of frozen hash browns, thawed in the refrigerator, works as well.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add in the onion, mustard, dill and some salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.  Stir in the canned salmon.  Add the potato and mix with your hands.

Preheat the oven to 200F.  Melt about 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Lightly oil a one-cup measure.  Spoon in the salmon-potato mixture to about 3/4 full, then press with your hands or a spoon to pack it in tightly.  Dump the contents into the skillet.  Repeat this until half of the salmon mixture is browning in the pan.  Cover the pan, and do not move the patties for about 5 minutes until the cooked side is brown and crispy.  Carefully flip the patties over to cook the other side.  Gently pat the sides to round up any loosened bits and keep the patties in shape.  Replace the cover and cook another 5 minutes.

Carefully remove the cooked patties to a baking sheet and place them in the heated oven to stay warm while you cook the remaining half of the salmon-potato mixture.  Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet if needed.

When all the patties are warming in the oven, mix together the sour cream, lemon juice and capers.

Plate up a hot salmon-potato patty topped with the sour cream mixture.  Add a simple green salad, and you've got a warming winter dinner that is not only healthy and delicious, but beautiful!