I get way too many ideas for new dishes from watching cooking shows. Yesterday crab beignets got me thinking about adapting my dry cottage cheese donut recipe for seafood. I had canned salmon and queso fresco on hand so I tried it tonight. It worked out great. I used preserved lemon in it since I always have some in my refrigerator, but wrote up the recipe with lemon zest and salt because they’re more common ingredients. If you can’t find fresh farmer’s cheese or its Mexican equivalent, queso fresco, then regular small curd cottage cheese that has been rinsed and patted dry with paper towels can be used. Feta cheese crumbles would also be good, though it’s saltier than farmer’s cheese so the salt content may need adjusting. I prefer to pan fry foods in lard because of the taste it imparts, but avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, or ghee are all good natural fats for frying. I served it with a caper and preserved lemon tartar sauce I made using black garlic avocado oil mayo and a simple green salad.

1 14.75oz can salmon, drained and flaked
1 cup farmer’s cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup flaxseed meal
3 eggs
1 shallot, minced
2 Tbs fresh parsley, minced
2 tsp dried dill
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Add about a half inch of oil or fat to a deep sauté pan and turn on medium high until it reaches 350°F. While the oil is heating, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until combined but not overly mixed. Form into 6 equal patties, about 1/3 cup of the salmon and cheese mixture for each. Once the oil is up to temperature, pan fry the patties until deep golden brown, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Don’t over crowd the pan; two batches may be required. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. Serve with favorite tartar sauce.