Salmon loaf
An old-fashioned baked salmon loaf with a tangy lemon dill sauce, thrifty and comforting, and it slices up well the next day too.
- 70 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $3.35 a serving
- 360 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 14¾ oz canned salmon, drained, skin and big bones removed
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 20 saltine crackers, crushed (about ⅔ cup)
- ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped, divided
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- ½ cup sour cream
From your pantry
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 pinch salt
Each serving has about 360 calories, 28 g protein, 18 g carbs and 20 g fat, and costs about $3.35 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No milk? Half-and-half works.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 350°F and brush a 9x5-inch loaf pan with the butter.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Flake the salmon into a large bowl, mashing in any small soft bones.
Add the eggs, milk, crushed crackers, onion, celery, lemon , half the lemon juice, half the dill and the pepper, and mix gently until combined.
Zest. Zest is the thin, colored outer layer of citrus peel, rubbed off on the smallest holes of a grater. It holds the fruit’s fragrant oils, so it adds bright flavor without the sourness of juice.
How you’ll know: You see bright flecks and smell citrus right away; stop when you reach the white layer, which is bitter.
Press the mixture evenly into the loaf pan.
for 45 to 50 minutes, until firm in the center and at the edges.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 47 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: A knife slid into the middle should come out clean and hot. That’s how you know the egg has set.Food safety: For the safest eggs, cook until the whites are fully set and the yolks begin to thicken. Dishes made with eggs are done at 160°F.
the sour cream with the rest of the lemon juice and dill and the salt.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Let the loaf for 5 minutes, then it and serve with the dill sauce.
Rest. Resting means letting cooked meat sit for a few minutes before you cut it. It keeps cooking gently, and more of the juice stays in the meat instead of running onto the board.
How you’ll know: Loosely covered with foil, it stays hot, and very little juice runs out when you slice it.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Timer: 5 min
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
