Alaska Salmon Recipes

You just never know what I might write about in this blog ... It's still about -20 here. I've completed my "honey do" list for the day, so I decided to dig up a few salmon recipes to post. Salmon and moose are common "wild" food sources in Alaska. Many of us fish and hunt to supplement our food supply. However, none of us, and that includes Sarah Palin, take any game animal from a helicopter or airplane. That's PETA nonsense. State laws prevent anyone from hunting for game on the same day that they are airborne. This law is strictly enforced.

You can use "fresh or canned" salmon for either of the recipes today, so those of you living in the "other 49", will have no problem finding ingredients. Canned salmon works as well as fresh. I discovered both dishes in the early 80's when we lived on Kodiak Island. Both are "my variation" on "tried and true" recipes from that location. Enjoy!

Russian Pirok(Purr..oak)Pie

1 ready-made 9 inch pie crust (top and bottom)
2 cups cooked rice (best if boiled in chicken broth)
2 cups cooked fresh or canned salmon (flaked)
1 tablespoon lemon juice or white wine
4 hardboiled eggs (diced)
1 medium onion (diced small
2 stalks celery (chopped)
1/4 head cabbage (red or green, chopped)
1/2 stick butter

Optional:

1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup frozen corn
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
Tabasco (a few shakes)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash and a dash of salt(or salt and pepper to your liking)

Saute the raw veggies in butter until partially cooked. Mix the precooked rice and salmon with the veggies. Spoon the mixture onto the first layer of pie dough in a lightly greased 9 inch pie pan. Heap high. It'll shrink a bit. Season the top of the mixture and dot with more butter, if desired. Cover with second piece of pie dough. Pinch edges. Poke with fork in a few spots. Brush top crust with melted butter. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375 degrees, or until crust is golden brown.

Alaska Salmon Nuggets

1.5 cups of cooked fresh or canned salmon
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
1 tablespoon diced celery
1 tablespoon diced onion
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1/2 pound sharp cheddar (shredded)
1 egg (beaten)
1 cup bread crumbs or flour

Mix mashed potatoes,flaked salmon, and cheese. Saute the celery and onion in butter. Add veggies to mixture. Form into small balls. Dip in egg and roll in bread crumbs or flour. Deep fat fry in vegetable oil at 375 degrees until golden brown.

The photos are of King Salmon dipnetted at Chitina, Alaska last June. The moose photos were taken about 30 miles south of Delta Junction, Alaska, also in June. The moose are in "velvet" at that time.