My dad makes this cold curry shrimp salad with peas that I just adore, and I was going through my cabinets to eat some of the stuff I bought during the pandemic, and I found two cans of salmon. So I made a tuna salad, but with salmon instead of tuna.
1 can salmon
mayo
diced red onion
diced celery
peas (frozen, but thawed and not cooked so thy pop)
salt
pepper
curry powder
Put it on toasted wheat with some tomato and a nice bib lettuce.
It’s delightful. I ate it with a sliced red peppr with on the side with a little salt and some kalamata olives.
I don’t know if this is already a thing or I made it up, but it is amazing. The curry just brings it to the next level.
jeffreyw
Trying to curry flavor?
zhena gogolia
Make sure it’s Penzey’s curry powder!
Dan B
I cooked salmon last night with sumac for tartness and a seasoning mix called Basque Seasoning. It looks like paprika based but is not sharp, more smokey sweet. It would be great in your version. I’ve got some yellow heirloom tomatoes and junior lettuces from the garden. Time for lunch!?!
Greg Ferguson
Works for me. With the cushion of curry, you could add some fresh dill, for example….???
Cacti
Fish from a can?
Pass.
bogart83
I am on a serious canned seafood kick thanks to this substack.
Found I really like to take leftover white rice, steep it in earl grey tea, mix in some fresh parsley, tinned smoked clams and a squirt of sriracha. Delicious.
piratedan
reading on my feed that the NRA was denied their ability to declare bankruptcy. My understanding is that leaves them open to further liability from their creditors and state agencies…
RepubAnon
Try plain yogurt instead of Mayo..,
namekarB
You left out the diced red bell??? And always always always sprinkle lots of granulated garlic (on everything, everyday – no such thing as too much)
JPL
What happened with the avocado?
zhena gogolia
@Cacti:
Well, lah-di-dah!
Raoul Paste
It’s amazing how many things you can put on a slab of cooked salmon There is dill sauce, barbecue sauce, maple syrup, mustard sauce, and likely more
Individually of course
Cacti
@zhena gogolia: Fish from a can and their fresh equivalents taste so different, it’s hard to believe it’s even the same food.
Mike in NC
Growing up, the only salmon we got was the canned stuff, which came with skin and bones. Yuck.
Brachiator
Hmm. Here’s an idea…
Pandemic Leftovers Cookbook
zhena gogolia
@Cacti:
Maybe so, but I love them both. For some things the canned version works better.
Geminid
@Cacti: Long ago, I used to make a tuna casserole-type dish using inexpensive canned Jack Mackerel. My housemates called it “Gack Mackerel.” My little beagle thought canned mackerel was sublime.
I’ve had really good salmon cakes made from canned salmon.
prostratedragon
Never tried it with curry or peas, but mayo/celery/onion with a dash of mustard and sometimes a sweet like relish or grapes is my standard base for many entree salads. The curry sounds like an interesting variation.
SiubhanDuinne
A few days ago I went kind of nuts reading the Penzey’s catalogue, and ended up buying a whole bunch of spices and blends. The delivery was yesterday. Now I am not a cook (although I’m getting better, and more interested in food prep — thank you, Covid-19! — and more willing to experiment). I do love curry, and one of the several little jars in front of me is a jar of Penzey’s curry. I fell in love with a recipe for chicken curry salad, but I don’t have any chicken on hand and I do have tuna, so I’m thinking along much the same lines as John.
Chacal Charles Calthrop
sounds like you’ve reinvented Kedgeree
catclub
weird, but who knows for taste?
SiubhanDuinne
@Brachiator:
First, catch your toilet paper…
prostratedragon
@Mike in NC: Salmon bones are chewable; mackerel not so much. Good source of extra calcium.
opiejeanne
@catclub: Maybe similar to one of the fragrant rices, like Jasmine rice? I have some leftover sub-par risotto I made (my fault it’s sub-par), Have been considering modifying it a bit to improve it, and it might be really good with a fancy canned tuna. I just happened to buy some, thanks to Alton Brown .
Dan B
@catclub: Earl Grey has bergamot which is vaguely similar to Lavender which is in Herbes de Provence. Tea has tannic acids which are good with oily foods and a touch of smokiness and floral which work amazingly well with savory foods and meats. These complement the umami without competing since umami is a taste – tongue, while floral and smokey are fragrances – nose.
I haven’t tried the Earl Grey rice but it makes culinary sense and I’ve got rice. Shhh, Don’t tell my partner who’s at the Endodontist for four hours today.
mrmoshpotato
@namekarB:
I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
The Golux
@SiubhanDuinne:
We are huge fans of their Creamy Peppercorn dressing mix, and I love to sprinkle their fajita seasoning on Trader Joe’s Blister Peanuts. Outstanding crunch and flavor, the ideal accompaniment to a Tanqueray martini (made with lemon-infused vermouth, of course).
We are blessed to have a Penzey’s store in the next town.
opiejeanne
@prostratedragon: We used to fish a lot when we were younger and had friends with big fishing boats, and we caught some mackerel. The cats came over to sniff at it when it was raw, and immediately started gagging and retching. We cooked it and it was only slightly more popular.
catclub
@Dan B: you have all convinced me. Too bad I can only eat very small amounts of rice. I love rice.
Dan B
@opiejeanne: Get yourself to Big John’s PFI (Pacific Food Importers). Their Basque Seasoning improves everything: fish, poultry, red meat, pasta, rice, maybe not sweets… They’re near Giodwill and Little Saigon at Rainier Ave and Jackson. Parking in rear / garage. Sundays are low traffic for you guys.
And the cheeses, wines, pastas, olives, etc. are amazing and a bargain. The cheese case is 25 feet long. And the not-so-bargain chocolate from Latvia and Iceland
It’s wonderful but I do go on…
bogart83
@catclub: It was a variation on Ochazuke, a Japanese breakfast and hangover cure. I didn’t have green tea the recipe calls for, so I used a tea I did and, honestly, I think I liked my version better than when I made it by the book.
NotMax
Canned pink or canned red?
Trivia: Kalamata olives have twice the calories and twice the fat of the ‘standard’ black olives.
Oh BTW, bib is for overalls; the lettuce is Bibb.
;)
WaterGirl
@SiubhanDuinne: Once or twice a year – one of those is in the fall, for sure – Penzey’s offers $50 gift cards at a cost of $35. I always buy at least two for myself, so I get $100 worth of spices for $70.
I usually wait to buy spices until there is a lower limit for free shipping, or some cool spices that have a special deal, so that’s a way to get top-shelf spices for a really good price.
Something to think about.
mrmoshpotato
@NotMax: A bib of lettuce.
prostratedragon
@opiejeanne: Yeah, I’ve tried to do something with it a few times and got absolutely nowhere. I think one of those times my fish-loving cats also turned up their noses.
I too have a canned salmon supply that I’d better reduce soon. My invention from years ago was a tomato sauce with, yes, heaps of garlic powder and oregano, other herbs or spices, and a bit of heat from cayenne or whatever. Simmer that a while, and serve over croquettes and rice. Another good one is onion and garlic sauteed plus tomatoes or sauce, herbs, and flaked salmon over a neat pasta such as shells.
jl
Sounds like a good tuna salad, same kind of ingredients that I like in it, except with salmon.
For the sake of variety, I periodically I make tuna salad, except with another kind of fish.
I never heard of pop peas before, though
Edit: ‘salmon salad’ has a ring to it too. Alaskan cod, halibut, black cod, mackerel, etc. salads probably sound weird, but you can make them taste good.
karen marie
@opiejeanne: Have you tried Genova tuna in oil? It’s fantastic, and closer in price to run-of-the-mill canned tunas. For the longest time I thought I didn’t like canned tuna even though when I was younger I loved it. Turns out, it’s tuna in water I don’t like. I’d have thought tuna in oil would be greasy but it’s totally not.
NotMax
@opiejeanne
Quasi-obligatory: Eggs Woodhouse.
:)
jl
As for veggies, I like some chopped radish and green onions for a little bite. Always taste test the radishes first though, since store bought can be variable. Depending on the fish and other stuff you put in it, yogurt and dill, or right kind of olive oil that matches the other stuff is good too, in case mayo has become tiresome.
And…. on rye crisp!
Sure Lurkalot
My gramma loved canned salmon and I loved my gramma. I can do tinned anchovies, smoked oysters or clams, albacore, but I’m sorry gramma, that canned salmon…smells bad and tastes worse.
Thanks for reminding me of my gramma. We both liked bread with butter and jelly.
Jim Appleton
Very nice!
My only addition would be a half teaspoon of rice vinegar.
Raven
I’m trying to get out on a boat and am striking out! In other Cole related news, I had a bad wipers blade on the way down and it rained like hell so I stopped in Blakey, GA an bought a new one. About 150 miles later the snap in portion disengaged and it flew off. I stopped an put the passenger side on and pulled the arm up so it wouldn’t scratch the windshield. It looked funny but it worked until I pushed the arm down a minute ago and cracked the windshield! We’re at the beach and they are in a fullthroated freak out about the gas so I don’t know what the hell is going to happen!
VeniceRiley
Celebrating Manchester City’s Premiere League win – So I had grilled porkchops in horseradish mustard/Asian firecracker sauce, truffle fries, green beans, and 2 hard apple ciders that taste like pie.
satby
I’ve been obsessed with trying to recreate the Turkish food vendor’s (at the farmer’s market) green lentil salad, but using black caviar lentils from Rancho Gordo. The cooked lentils are tossed in olive oil and lemon juice with fresh parsley, a bit of fresh mint, diced onion and bell pepper, garlic, veggies like green peas, corn, and carrots (I think all frozen and thawed). It’s delicious, filling, and healthy. You can customize the veggies to your taste.
Kristine
Canned salmon fan here, bones and all. I like this recipe, except I don’t liquify anything, I usually roast my own peppers, and I use a cup of w/w panko instead of saltines. And I’ve begun using the water the salmon is packed in rather than milk because it’s essentially fish stock. And harissa instead of Frank’s b/c the latter is wimpy imo. Leftovers make good salmon burgers.
SiubhanDuinne
@WaterGirl:
Nice to know, thanks. There was a good sale going on when I ordered, which is probably why I got carried away!
Anyway
@NotMax:
Trivia update: Kalamata olives have twice the calories…
and hundred times the taste of calif black olives
SiubhanDuinne
@The Golux:
Added to the list for the next round of ordering.
WaterGirl
@Raven: Yikes.
Do not buy a lottery ticket today!
eclare
@Raven: Whoa!
burnspbesq
@piratedan:
Technically, the Bankruptcy Court dismissed the case, based on a finding that it was not filed in good faith. That’s an appealable final order, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it appeals. But unless there is a stay pending appeal, the New York AG’s office can resume its action to dissolve the organization and grab its assets.
Let the fun begin!
Kristine
@karen marie: I like Genova a lot, and I am surprised at the low price considering the quality. I also like Wild Planet. But my overall fave is American Tuna, especially the smoked tuna in olive oil. I received a can in a sampler pack and made it with mayo and some Trader Joe’s mustard garlic aioli and it was one of the best smoked fish salads I’ve ever had.
WaterGirl
@SiubhanDuinne: I always get carried away when I order from Penzey’s, but there’s nothing wrong with enthusiasm. :-)
WaterGirl
@Anyway: LOVE kalamata olives.
When I read John’s post, I thought “if you’re eating red peppers with kalamata olives, you sure don’t need any salt on the peppers.”
NotMax
@Anyway
Culinary mantra #1: Fat is flavor.
;)
burnspbesq
@VeniceRiley:
Hey! No celebration until Everton knocks Spurs out of Europe, and the Italian federation kicks Juventus out of Serie A for engaging in the Super League bullshit.
mrmoshpotato
@NotMax: Obligatory
prostratedragon
@NotMax: Re: kalamata olives: that’s why they’re so good.
And Happy Birthday.
Citizen Alan
@Sure Lurkalot: I eat canned tuna like it’s going out of style, but my brain recoils from canned salmon. I think it’s because growing up, my mother occasionally used it to make salmon patties and they were VILE.
brendancalling
@Geminid: I LOVE canned mackerel. Oh—it’s like heaven. OTOH my dad likes pickled herring, which—well, I have a mixed relationship with pickled herring.
Leslie
Ooh! This is exactly how I make my tuna salad, but I never thought to add the curry powder. I’ll try it that way next time.
pat
Everyone is talking about CANNED tuna and salmon. Have you tried the stuff in the bags? It also comes in a variety of “flavors added” that I have not tried. And don’t intend to.
geg6
Sounds good except the curry powder. I hate curry and cannot stomach it.
SiubhanDuinne
O/T, but I hope Dr. Silverman is working up a post on the current Israeli-Palestinian fighting. It feels different this time, and I’m counting on Adam to explain why.
Shana
@Dan B: I found a recipe on the WaPo’s site for Sumac Chicken with Carrots and Chickpeas that is so so good. Can of chickpeas, bag of baby carrots, whole chicken and a bunch of spices, mostly sumac. Toss the veggies with some spices, put the chicken (slathered with sumac and a few other spices) on top, roast. Highly recommended.
NotMax
Not all senior moments are necessarily negative.
Yesterday while doing the monthly shopping sojourn through Costco after getting shot #2 there, vaguely remembered that was nearly out of bourbon, so made a point of putting a 1.75 liter bottle of Bulleit into the cart.
Once home, discovered I had done the same thing last month after shot #1, so am flush with the stuff. Now trawling through the recipe files for ones which use bourbon. Luckily, there’s a plethora of ’em.
prostratedragon
Danke schön.
Another Scott
Sounds good, but not enough Jello (6:55)
(Recreation of 1917 Thrifty Salad recipe).
Cheers,
Scott.
Shana
@karen marie: You can get 6 packs, or 8 packs I’ve forgotten, at Costco for almost the same price as Kirkland brand in water. You’re right, it’s really good tuna.
Amir Khalid
@brendancalling:
Every Malaysian grows up with the taste of Ayam Brand tinned mackerel in tomato sauce.
Poe Larity
@JPL:
It ran off with the mustard.
schrodingers_cat
First the mulligatawny soup, now curry salmon, guess Jane Coale is back from her long hiatus
schrodingers_cat
@Cacti: I agree. Also no to curry.
Steve in the ATL
@SiubhanDuinne: a new twist on genocide?
Steve in the ATL
@NotMax: here’s one:
1. Pour bourbon into tumbler
2. Drink
fin
Steve in the ATL
@schrodingers_cat: SC is not Indian—dossier updated!
WaterGirl
@NotMax: I once ended up with 4 jars of what we called “pickle relish” because I kept thinking I was out of it.
This is something that I ONLY used when I made sloppy joes, and that used one Tablespoon of pickle relish.
I ended up giving them away to people because there was no way I would ever use 4 jars.
If it had been tequila or rum, that would have been better
Gin & Tonic
@Steve in the ATL: If you’re in a hurry, you can skip Step 1.
schrodingers_cat
@Steve in the ATL: Indian yes, Anglo Indian no. The ingredients in curry work are oil soluble and they don’t work for me when they are not cooked/tempered in oil
Using curry powder ( a milder version of sambar masala) was a shortcut method for Anglo-Indian cooks to achieve vaguely Indian (south Indian) flavors
Another Scott
OMG we need a new politics-related open thread soon. I just saw something that is so amazing, yet so unsurprising, on JuanitaJean’s…
Cheers,
Scott.
VeniceRiley
@burnspbesq: All I care about now is beating Chelsea, who seem to have our number a bit recently. But yes it would be nice to root against Spurs, much as I like that Son fellow.
Madeleine
@Citizen Alan: Yes yes yes! Salmon patties are vile. My mother made them occasionally when I was a child and to this day canned salmon is anathema to me!
On the other hand, I used to make a simple tuna salad using plain yogurt (mentioned by someone else) and grated carrots (salt a pepper of course). It was very satisfying for a quick lunch sandwich.
Yes, Genova tuna is good. We make a tuna sauce for pasta: canned tomatoes, diced garlic, olive oil, canned tuna. chopped Italian parsley, s&p. Comfort food.
Steve in the ATL
@schrodingers_cat: you’ve been free since since 1947, but I get that that’s just the blink of an eye in every part of the world but this one
Sure Lurkalot
@Kristine: Thanks for the tip…I’m gonna order this.
I also love Ortiz Yellowfin in OO which can be bought at World Market (or the white, even pricier). $11 is a bit much for the base of a tuna salad but it’s very special. Also wonderful for Nicoise.
Speaking of kalamata olives, one tuna salad I make contains those, preserved lemon, celery and green onion, mayo and a dash of olive oil (if it’s tuna in water).
Baud
@Another Scott:
I saw that the NRA’s bankruptcy petition was dismissed for bad faith.
zhena gogolia
@schrodingers_cat:
That’s hilarious! Did you write that?
zhena gogolia
@Another Scott:
Do tell!
Another Scott
@Baud: ?? “If it weren’t for Bad Faith, I’d have no faith at all…”??
Nice.
Cheers,
Scott.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Cacti: Wasn’t till I got married that I had salmon that didn’t come from a can, and learned that I actually liked salmon.
Our parents (my wife’s and mine) apparently came from a generation that was taught to serve everything from a can.
New Deal democrat
John’s curmudgeonly UK equivalent, Russ Jones in Cheshire, did something similar yesterday:
For dinner, something I’ve never seen in a recipe book, so might (probably didn’t) have made up by gradually saying “hey, you know what would be good with this”
Roasted butternut, fried onion, feta, sundried tomato, basil and fine beans, served with tagliatelle. Lovely
https://mobile.twitter.com/RussInCheshire/status/1391820772461760512
Another Scott
I don’t want to muddy’s JC’s thread. (Any more than I already have.)
It’ll keep. :-)
Cheers,
Scott.
Shana
@NotMax: Hmm, bourbon drinks you say? <Rubs hands together>
Manhattan with the addition of as much Aperol as you use of sweet vermouth.
Manhattan with Amaretto instead of Aperol.
Two parts bourbon, 1/2 part maple syrup, 1 part lemon juice.
New Deal democrat
@Shana: I foresee rigorous and thorough experimentation with these concoctions this summer ….
will report back if coherent and able.
prostratedragon
@WaterGirl:
Shana
@New Deal democrat: Please do! And pass along any you find that seem interesting.
Chacal Charles Calthrop
@Another Scott: you know about this, right?
https://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: Is Bad Faith like Blind Faith?
NotMax
@zhena gogolia
Here’s an obscure 1953 movie moment – a genuine Russian chanteuse singing a traditional folk song.
Most jackals will immediately recognize the tune; the words bear no relation whatsoever to those of the English pop music hit from some years later.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@schrodingers_cat: I distrust curry powder for the same reason that for my own heritage I wouldn’t use “chili powder”. It’s somebody making the decision for you what spices to use and in what proportions.
However I admit to having bought garam masala and tried to use it. I don’t think I used it right.
Watching Indians cook when I lived in a house with a group of Indians, I think part of the secret is just to use a LOT of spices, in much more generous portions than Americans are used to using.
I would give a lot to understand how to make saag paneer taste right.
prostratedragon
@NotMax: So, shots remind you of shots.
Mike in NC
Not understanding this trouble happening in Gaza. I thought Kushner had everything squared away.
zhena gogolia
@NotMax:
It’s a classic. I used to have a CD with Yul Brynner singing it with the great Alyosha Dmitrievich. A student borrowed it and his roommate spilled beer on it
ETA: Great Alistair Sim!
NotMax
@Shana
Planning to whip up some bourbon glaze to keep at the ready in the fridge.
1¼ cup bourbon
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup ketchup
2 tbl. Worcestershire sauce
juice of ½ lemon
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
(optional) generous dash of soy sauce
Whisk everything together, bring to a slow simmer over medium heat until it reduces to about a third of its original volume. stirring regularly so the sugar doesn’t burn.
prostratedragon
Bourbon and pineapple juice: it’s a cooler, it’s a marinade.
WaterGirl
@Mike in NC: That was worth a laugh out loud.
NotMax
@zhena gogolia
Had the roommate spilled vodka on it, that would have been easier to let slide. ;)
Suppose ought to note the movie is available on Prime – Innocents in Paris.
Definitely a product of its time. With a cast including Sim, Margaret Rutherford, Claire Bloom, Stringer Davis, et al. it should have been a better ride than it turned out but still holds its own as a moderately diverting curiosity.
zhena gogolia
@NotMax:
I can tell just from that clip that whoever the director was does not understand pacing.
Kristine
@Sure Lurkalot: Whatever you order, you don’t need to drain it–the oil is so flavorful. The other tuna is cooked in the can, so you just dump it in the bowl and break it up and it reabsorbs the liquid.
I’m a fan.
Kristine
@Shana: My new favorite bourbon/rye drink is a Man o’ War. The recipe I first tried uses Cointreau, but I would like to try the liqueurs mentioned here.
Gravenstone
@pat: Actually the herb and garlic flavor makes a very tasty base for tuna salad sandwiches.
Another Scott
@Chacal Charles Calthrop: I did not.
Ignorance is a precious thing – once you lose it, it’s gone forever!
Now you’ve spoiled it!!
;-)
Cheers,
Scott.
What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?
@Raoul Paste: I put a ginger miso soy rice vinegar sauce/paste (spreadable with a silicone basting brush but thick enough to spread on the fish) on a big slab of salmon that I’ve sectioned down to the skin into serving size pieces. I work the sauce down into those sides and liberally coat the top and sides and put it on a cedar plank and cook on the grill until done. It’s frickin delicious and that thick sauce really seals in the moisture. I’ve never had it dry out.
sralloway
@Cacti: Agree. Grew up and lived on the New England coast for 30 year before I moved to Philly. The only canned fish I use is tuna, for salad, Had canned salmon once and thought “What the hell is this?” When I make salmon for she-who-must-be-obeyed, leftovers are minced and made into a dip with cream cheese, sour cream, pepper, and other herbs and spices. Lasts 5 days.
Dan B
@Shana: Sounds great! I haven’t cooked chicken with sumac. Why not? Don’t ask me!
Warning: If you’re allergic to poison ivy, like you get it from being near the plant not just a rash from touching it, you may be allergic to sumac – rare but…
J R in WV
Recipe — West African Black-eyed Pea Casserole
Can of Genoa Tuna in Oilve Oil
Can of black-eyed peas
Can of Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
Chopped onion, garlic, crushed red peppers, couple tablespoons tomato paste
Bake till bubbling a little in a shallow dish
top with panko bread crumbs and cheese
Bake more until topping browns a little bit….
I may be forgetting something…
it’s from Joy of Cooking in an early edition in index under tuna casserole
Obviously you can use 2 cans of tuna, two cans of peas, more tomatoes and peppers depending on how many servings you need. This is for Wife and I. Also in summer, better with fresh tomatoes. But is really a winter dish.
rikyrah
@Cacti:
Only way I eat salmon.in a croquette
sralloway
@opiejeanne: Oh, do I so agree. We fished for flounder off the docks where I grew up on the eastern CT coast. Considered mackerel junk fish.
What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: I’m a fan of developing your own chili spice mix but the Penzey Chili 3000 blend makes a good starting point. I use that as a base and embellish with some extra onion and garlic powder, smoked paprika and straight up chili powder – that is dried ground chili with no other spices in the mix. I sample periodically and let flavor be my guide.
What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?
Penzey has lots of great products. Their seafood base makes a great seafood stock base for chowder. Their Bavarian seasoning blend is delicious on pork. Their curry powder is top notch. I use their ham base in bean and pea soups.
steppy
While I enjoy fresh salmon much better, canned salmon in things like salmon patties is delicious as well. It’s just different.
Canning it yourself is really good in another different way. If you find salmon fillets at a good price, you can cut them so that a rolled up piece fits in a pint jar, skin and all. Fill the jar with boiling water and a pinch of salt and pressure can them. It’s far superior to canned (that is, in an actual can). Makes great salmon patties, croquettes, salad, etc.
steppy
@What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?: Penzey’s Chili 3000 is excellent, and so is their Maharajah curry powder. For those of us who were not brought up in the tradition, Penzey’s is a great help. And it helps that the boss there is a DFH so I can feel good about sending them my money.
EmanG
Having just moved to the south I must ask, is your mayo Duke’s? Cause it should be, unless you make your own.