Salmon Loaf

Behold! I give you the glorious tapestry known as Salmon Loaf!

Okay, it’s not the most attractive thing in the world. But need I remind you how disgusting salmon looks when it comes out of the can? There are all those slithery grey bits of skin and bones sticking out and sometimes, depending on how much the salmon canner was slacking off, you’ll find a lone salmon eye staring back at you

Cakers love salmon. (It comes in a can, after all.) But we usually stick to pink salmon. It’s the paler, cheaper cousin of sockeye. We mainly use it in salmon sandwiches (pronounced "sammin sammitches") made with white, buttered bread. My great-grandmother survived on salmon sandwiches and she lived to be almost 100. Of course, her house probably smelled like Captain Highliner’s beard.

This recipe called for a 8” x 12” pan, which I used. But I was a little disappointed that I didn’t opt for my loaf pan. After all, if you’re going to call something a loaf, it should look like a loaf. What you’re looking at here could easily be called Salmon Squares. And without a sprinkling of shredded coconut on top, that just seems wrong.

Looks aside, this salmon loaf tasted great. Just watch for bones. And eyes.

1 large can salmon (see note 1)

2 cups crushed soda crackers

1 ½ cups milk

2 eggs beaten

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon mustard

¼ cup melted butter

1 tablespoon vinegar

Mix all ingredients together. Press into cooking dish approx. 8” x 12.” Can be served hot or cold. Cook at 350 deg. for 1 hr. Put salmon can in oven with water to keep salmon loaf moist. (see note 2)

Note 1: You can usually find the larger cans, but if not, I'd use two regular-sized cans. Or maybe three?

Note 2: I was going to do this, but then got freaked out thinking about the fumes from the label glue. So I put water in another baking dish and set it next to the loaf.

Source: Happiness is Cooking with Lockhart School, Newcastle, Ontario