Confession time, I normally loathe canned fish. There is something about it that I’ve hated since childhood. But it’s so damn convenient and on a handful of occasions I’ve had it prepared in a way that is well, delicious and makes me hate it much much less. So I feel that with these sesame salmon balls with ginger tahini dipping sauce that a turning point has been reached. Because you guys, these are so freaking good, and how could they not be when they come straight from the brilliant noggin of Sonia Lacasse otherwise known as the Healthy Foodie and author of the amazing new cookbook Paleo Home Cooking
Not only does she turn canned salmon into a veritable delicacy, she also has a recipe for fatty fish patties that uses sardines and herring and makes getting those omega-3’s a piece of cake. These patties are perfect for picky kids and adults alike, and we all know how healthy herring and sardines are but admittedly they can be a challenge to include in ones diet.
I loved flipping through the pages of her first cookbook and will return to it for inspiration time and time again. The section on nut butters is beyond anything my simple almond butter imagination could ever conjure up. Seriously, smoky bacon and dark chocolate nut spread and a taste of India seed butter, this book is already covered in drool! I’m always impressed by Sonia’s luxurious desserts and she pulled no stops for the book. My Quebecois mother literally flipped her lid when I told her there was a paleo recipe for “pouding choumer” which is a classic Quebecois dessert that translates to unemployed mans pudding. It’s a classic vanilla cake with a buttery luxurious maple pudding sauce that sinks to the bottom during the cooking process. I can’t believe my beloved childhood dessert has been paleofied.
Ingredients
- 3 (6-ounce/170-g) cans wild-caught pink salmon, drained, or 1¼ pounds (570 g) cooked salmon
- 1/2 cup (60 g) almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 1/4 cup (15 g) chopped fresh parsley
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) full fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup (60 g) tahini paste
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup (35 g) minced fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup white sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
- 4 tablespoons healthy cooking fat or oil for pan-frying (best choices include lard, beef tallow, ghee, coconut or avocado oil)
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients for the salmon mixture in a large mixing bowl and mix until evenly combined; Place that in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
- While the salmon mixture is busy getting cold, prepare the dipping sauce by placing all the ingredients to a small food processor and processing until smooth and creamy. Now place that too in the refrigerator to chill for a couple of hours.
- Disperse the white and black sesame seeds on a plate.
- Once the salmon mixture is fully chilled, roll it or scoop it into 36 balls*, roughly the size of a Ping-Pong ball, then roll them into the sesame seeds to coat.
- Heat the cooking fat in a large heavy skillet set over medium-high heat and cook the salmon balls, turning them often, until nice and golden all around, which should take about 8 to 10 minutes total. You might have to work in 2 or 3 batches, depending on the size of your skillet.
- Make sure not to overcrowd the pan so that air gets to circulate freely between each ball.
- Allow the balls to cool slightly before serving with the dipping sauce.
I’m giving away a free copy of Paleo Home Cooking
