Most people have foods that remind them of their childhood. For me, salmon rissoles is a big reminder of my mum’s cooking. How is it I remember the taste of her roast dinners and salmon rissoles but not the sound of her voice? As a kid we ate home cooked dinners five days a week. On weekends dad would prepare “little tea” for dinner – eggs or baked beans on toast or crackers and devon with some fruit perhaps.
My mum would often cook spaghetti with tomato sauce, shepherds pie or salmon rissoles on week nights. I’ve modified her way of making the rissoles by using sweet potato instead of white potatoes. My grandmother uses rice. I rarely measure the ingredients, I just throw them together for an easy dinner. They consist of one can of salmon, one mashed sweet potato, one egg, one diced onion and about 1/4 – 1/2 cup breadcrumbs. Parsley and pepper optional. Shape the mixture into patties and cook them in a pan until they are crisp and browned on both sides. My mum was good at not browning them too much, but still getting them to have a nice crust. The things we remember – 21 years on.
