Salmon loaf

By Tali Simon | November 17, 2011

You know how people still seem to think Israel is some kind of third-world country?

I mean, really. Israel is at the forefront of amazing technology discoveries I won’t even pretend to understand. It built the incredible Iron Dome, which intercepts rockets fired from Gaza into Israel. As in, it works. And we definitely have plenty of tuna here. Even StarKist.

But. True confessions, not too different from the tuna myth, I’m afraid: I have never seen canned salmon in Israel, and I just assumed it doesn’t exist here. I had been wanting to make a salmon loaf, so it was disappointing. But okay, no salmon loaf. I chalked it up as “one of those things you just can’t get in Israel.”

Happily, I was proven wrong…by my in-laws visiting from Canada who found canned salmon without really trying. Seriously, one day I mentioned that Israel doesn’t carry canned salmon, and the next day they show up with four big cans for me. Go figure.

To me, though, the salmon was more than just canned fish. It was symbolic. See?? Israel does have everything you need! I’m pretty sure that’s what those cans were saying.

Of course, there are bound to be things that Israeli stores really don’t carry. And that’s okay, too.

Because I really do get everything I need here.

Please ignore that piece of onion. It is bothering me to no end.

—-

Salmon loaf
(From Dianne Lewis via Food.com)

Ingredients

1 (1 lb) can salmon
1/2 cup milk (or soy milk)
3 cups soft breadcrumbs (you can make this in your food processor with leftover challah)
1/4 cup butter (or margarine), melted
1/3 cup salmon liquid
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 Tbsp chopped onions
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp black pepper
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C. Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. Drain salmon, reserving liquid. Flake salmon and set aside.

2. Scald the milk, add breadcrumbs and butter, and mix. Let stand 5 minutes before adding salmon liquid. Mix until smooth.

3. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add egg yolks, onion, lemon juice, pepper and salmon. Mix well, then fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.

4. Pour in pan and bake 50-60 minutes or until firm in the center. Let cool several minutes, then loosen from the sides of the pan with a spatula and invert onto serving plate. (Serving suggestion: Mustard and tomato dip go nicely with this loaf.)