Mama Carol's
   Salmon Patties

Saderio Simmons

One of the most beloved dishes in my family is my momma's salmon patties. My mother's ex-boyfriend, who is an amateur chef, first introduced her to the dish. She watched him make them and eventually began to fix them for herself.

When making them, she only uses the Zest brand salmon, because other brands don't fry as well. It's a meal that can be cooked for breakfast or dinner. If my mom makes it for dinner, she normally cooks yellow rice with it. If it's made for breakfast, grits are usually what she cooks on the side to complement it.

This is really a family-friendly dish because there is something for everyone to do. Most of the time, my mom will take out the bones and drain the juice from the salmon, while my sister and I chop the onions and bell peppers. So, it's something we can all participate in. So, over the years I have learned how to make them.

They cause the kitchen to smell fishy, so it's rare that my momma cooks them. The only time she makes them is if I keep nagging her and she wants me to shut up. She'll also make them for my family, who lives up north, when we go up there. Everybody absolutely loves them. The only time anybody gets to eat them is when my momma fixes them because NO ONE in the family can make them like her.

I just started eating them within the last six or seven years. The first time I ate one I remember taking out all the green peppers and throwing them away. Then I bit into the golden brown outside, and it was like I had walked into heaven. It tasted so good. I had never tasted anything like it. After that, I liked them so much that I didn't bother to take out the green peppers, and now I love them, too. Over the last few years, a lot of things about me have changed, but my love of salmon patties hasn't wavered.