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Call Loaf Frugal; Call It Dinner

Photo by LYNN KESSEL

This basic salmon dish was made in a six-ounce ramekin to produce a puffy and crispy variation of the recipe normally made in a loaf pan.

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 28, 2008

With the economy weakening, many of us wait until there is absolutely nothing to eat in the house to buy groceries. Or so we think.

I try to keep a can of salmon in the pantry for making the well-regarded, classic salmon loaf. The most basic recipe calls for maybe six ingredients that are always lurking in my kitchen. Call it living on the cheap; call it frugal. I call it a tasty dinner.

While you're at it, call me old-fashioned, too. I use my mother's recipe. A 1960s Midwesterner, she made lots of salmon loaf when I was a kid.

When done right, the moist - not icky wet - inside texture is wrapped by a crisp, golden, buttery crust. Right out of the oven, the bubbling exterior is some serious deliciousness.

The basics include bread crumbs or cracker crumbs, eggs, milk and butter. Like meatloaf, only using salmon instead of ground beef, you simply mix all of these ingredients together, pour them into a greased loaf pan and bake until firm.

I have no qualms about messing with a good thing, though. My childhood recipe arouses strong feelings, but my big-girl instincts sometimes say let's add a little of this and some of that. The flavors of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, bell peppers, fresh dill, lemon juice or garlic are perfect.

Salmon loaf is nothing new. A glance through my collection of Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks revealed that salmon loaf hasn't changed much in the past 70 years. My 1937 vintage copy of "My New Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook" includes a salmon loaf that's served covered with a white sauce to which canned peas and shredded raw carrots are added. I don't think so.

A 1970s version of salmon loaf includes a piquant sauce with chopped green onions, dry mustard and Worcestershire sauce. A possibility.

Surfing around a bit, I found a salmon loaf with a horseradish sauce. Now we're talking.

If you can afford it, buy the best quality salmon. Either red or pink varieties can be used, and both are delicious. Before preparing the loaf, drain off the liquid and remove the bones and skin.

Save the liquid, though. You can pour it over dry cat or dog food. My Chihuahua loves it!

Salmon loaf can be served with garnishes of parsley, chives or slices of hard-cooked eggs.

This week, I fixed it with sea salt and chopped parsley, and then topped it with flecks of fresh thyme leaves. A new set of 6-ounce ramekins has been waiting for a year for me to play with, so I substituted them for the loaf pan. It's no longer a salmon loaf per se, but it worked.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a salad, and call it a great dinner at home.

BASIC SALMON LOAF

2 eggs

1 (14.75-ounce) can salmon

3 slices soft bread, cut into cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter

1 cup milk

Break eggs into small bowl, and beat until light. Drain salmon, remove skin and bones, and flake. Add eggs with bread, salt and butter. Heat milk to lukewarm; add to first mixture. Mix thoroughly. Place in greased 7-by-3-by-21/2-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Lynn Kessel can be reached at lkessel@mac.com or P.O. Box 913, Ruskin FL 33575-0286. Readers are encouraged to send in their favorite recipes, comments and suggestions.

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