Salmon Crunch Pie

Before getting into this recipe, here is a little background I found on the Pacific Salmon official site –

Pink salmon is inexpensive; red salmon costs more. Red salmon flesh is actually red, and pink salmon looks more like tuna. When red and pink salmon are pulled fresh from the sea their flesh is, in fact, distinctly red or pink. The cooking process of canning reduces coloration in both. Red salmon gets its enhanced color from eating krill, a type of small shrimp. Pinks are the most abundant salmon, followed by reds.

Supply and demand and a historic bias for red salmon account for the cost differential. We have done blind taste tests, and when people don’t know which fish they are eating, statistically they report a slight preference for pink over red.

Wild Pacific Salmon of Farmed Atlantic Salmon?

In the marketplace: If it isn’t labeled, you can’t always be certain without asking the retailer or restaurant. It is always best to ask. However, there are some clues. If the label reads “Atlantic” salmon then it is farmed. In Canada, there are no legal commercial fisheries for Atlantic salmon and virtually all Atlantic salmon served in restaurants or sold in stores are farmed fish. If the label simply reads “fresh salmon”, there is a good chance it is farmed. Most wild salmon will be identified by species – pink, coho, sockeye, spring/chinook or chum salmon. But Chinook (also called spring) salmon are farmed as well so the name is not a guarantee. Always ask. If it’s farmed, don’t buy it and tell the store to stop selling it until the industry adopts better practices.

Having shared all of that my preference is still for Wild Pacific Salmon, which I buy in cans identified as such! The recipe I am sharing today comes from a dear friend, Ellie, who served this to us along with a great salad…. I think you’ll like it!

 Salmon Crunch Pie
Ingredients
1 (15 1/2 oz) can salmon
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grated onion
3 drops hot pepper sauce (Tabasco)
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed

***Whole Wheat Crust***
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup finely chopped almonds
Directions
Whole Wheat Crust: Combine whole wheat flour, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, salt and paprika. Cut in butter making crumbs. Add finely chopped almonds. Reserve 1 cup crumbs for topping and press remaining crumbs into a deep 9″ pie plate.

***

Drain and flake salmon, reserving liquid. Mix the beaten eggs, salmon liquid, sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese and seasonings and mix well. Add to the flaked salmon, mixing thoroughly. Turn into deep dish pie plate lined with the whole wheat crust. Sprinkle with crumbs reserved from crust. Bake in preheated 400F oven for about 45 minutes or until filling is set.

Author: reg45

Canadian guy living part time in Progreso, Yucatan. View all posts by reg45