Firsts | Snacks | Appetizers
Salmon Ball

M=Meat | P=Parve (no meat, no dairy) | D=Dairy | VEG=Vegetarian | V=Vegan | GF=Gluten Free​

The Salmon Ball started showing up at parties in the ‘70s. I remember my mom making it; her recipe came from our synagogue cookbook.

Over the years, I upgraded some of the ingredients. I replaced Liquid Smoke with smoked paprika. At home, I use fresh salmon, simply prepared, instead of canned salmon. There’s nothing wrong with canned salmon; it’s no different than canned tuna. And given that the rest of the salmon ball ingredients are common pantry items, if you keep a can of salmon on hand, you can prepare this quick snack/appetizer any time. Personally, I always have a couple pieces of salmon on hand. It takes just a few minutes to cook a piece in the microwave. Put it in a shallow dish with a tiny bit of water, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and cook 2 or 3 minutes at a time until the fish is cooked through.

I usually make two balls from this recipe – one for the party and one for the freezer. Wrap the ball tightly, in plastic, then aluminum foil. To defrost, unwrap and place right on your serving dish.

​Serve with plain crackers or sliced baguette. 

Salmon Ball
D | VEG | GF

Click here for a PDF to download or print.

Ingredients
​1 LB salmon (canned or fresh cooked)
8 oz pkg cream cheese, room temperature
1 TBSP lemon juice (juice of ½ lemon)
2 tsp grated onion
1 tsp prepared horseradish
¼ tsp smoked paprika or a tad more, to taste
¼ tsp salt
½ C chopped pecans
3 TBSP parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Drain and flake salmon, removing skin and bones.
2. In a medium bowl, use a fork or your hands to combine everything except pecans and parsley.
3. Refrigerate mixture several hours or overnight, until it’s stiff enough to handle. Shape mixture into ball.
4. Combine pecans and parsley. Roll ball in nut mixture, pressing coating into the ball.
5. Serve right away, or refrigerate for later, or freeze for much later.
6. Remove from fridge about ½ hour before serving. Serve on a platter with plain crackers or sliced baguette.

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