Salmon Patties in Red Sauce – A Forever Recipe

Instructions

- Soak the bread in a bowl of water for 3 minutes, then squeeze it well and set aside. - Prepare the Patties: place the onion, garlic, and parsley in a food processor and pulse until the onion is finely chopped. - Add the salmon and pulse just until finely chopped. Do not process into a paste. Transfer to a bowl. - Add the squeezed bread, egg, salt, and pepper. Knead with your hands until you have a sticky mixture with no large pieces of bread remaining. - Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the sauce. - Prepare the Sauce: Slice the onions and bell pepper into thin strips. Slice or dice the garlic. Halve the cherry tomatoes. - Heat the olive oil in a wide, shallow pot or sauté pan. Cook the onions, garlic, and bell pepper until softened and caramelized. Be patient and allow the vegetables to develop a nice color. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking slowly until they soften, shrink, and caramelize. This takes about 10 minutes. They may look slightly charred, but that's where much of the deep flavor comes from. You're aiming for a rich, concentrated sauce rather than tomatoes stewed in water. - Add the hot paprika, sweet paprika, salt, and baharat. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. - Add enough boiling water to come about three-quarters of the way up the patties once they're added (approximately 5 cm / 2 inches deep). Stir well. - Simmer the sauce for 15–25 minutes so it reduces slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. - Cook the Patties: Remove the salmon mixture from the refrigerator. With lightly oiled or wet hands, form balls and place them gently into the sauce. Gently shake the pot so some sauce reaches the tops of the patties. It's fine if they aren't completely submerged. Cook for 30–40 minutes. Occasionally spoon sauce over the tops of the patties and gently shake the pot. - Once cooked, sprinkle with cilantro or parsley and serve.

Particularly delicious drizzled with lemon