Recipes

Baked Salmon Meatballs with Tartar Sauce

Serves 4

| Prep Time: 15 mins

| Cook Time: 15 mins

| Total Time: 30 mins

You may need: Nordic Blend

Discover The Recipe

The importance of seafood to Scandinavian cuisine cannot be overstated. Surrounded by the sea, Scandinavians have been hauling in culinary bounties from the sea for millennia. In any Scandinavian restaurant you will find countless varieties of fish with a number of preparations from smoked to steamed to salted to pickled. This easy recipe for Baked Salmon Meatballs with Tartar Sauce uses our proprietary Nordic Blend spice.

Featuring dill, one of the most popular herbs in Scandinavia whose name is derived from the Old Nordic word “della” meaning “to lull”, to provides a pop of authentic flavor. Throughout Scandinavia, herbal remedy dill water (dill seeds infused in hot water) or as it is commonly known, “gripe water”, is still used to treat adults and children for indigestion.

In addition to dill, the Nordic spice blend includes thyme, coriander, caraway seed, celery seed, and black pepper. The recipe uses the spice in both the meatballs and the tartar sauce for a fresh, grassy, citrus pop. This blend has many uses - add it to creamy soups, sauces or marinades, or even bake it into a fresh loaf of focaccia.

Ingredients

1 lb. skinless salmon
½ medium onion, cut into ~1 inch chunks
2 cloves garlic
1 cup parsley, loosely packed
6 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Piquant Post Nordic Blend
Tartar Sauce (optional)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup dill pickle, chopped
1 tsp Piquant Post Nordic Blend

Notes

When food processing the onions/garlic and salmon, pulse just a few times to break into small chunks. Do not over process, or you will get a puree.

If the meatballs aren't sticking together when forming balls, add more panko crumbs.

Sear the meatballs on a hot skillet for 1 minute per side before baking if you prefer a crispier outside.

We served our salmon meatballs over a bed of zucchini noodles. Try also serving with a salad, over rice, with baked or mashed potatoes, or over roasted carrots.

Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor, but don’t sweat it if you don’t have them.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Add onion, garlic & parsley to a food processor. Pulse a few times, until diced (don’t overprocess or you will get a puree). Scoop mixture into a mixing bowl. Add salmon to the food processor and pulse a few times until the salmon is coarsely chopped. (again, don’t overprocess or it will be a mush). Add salmon to the mixing bowl.

Add egg, panko crumbs, salt and 1 Tbsp Nordic Spice to the mixing bowl. Combine well.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using ~2 Tbsp of mixture, form meatballs by rolling in the palms of your hands. Place on a baking sheet, spaced evenly. Bake until cooked through, around 15 minutes.

While the meatballs are baking, make the tartar sauce. Whisk together the mayo, lemon juice, pickle, and ~1 tsp Nordic Blend in a small bowl. Serve as a condiment to the salmon meatballs.

Alternatives & Substitutions

If you don't have dill pickles for the tartar sauce, use diced cucumbers instead.
Opt for a different fish, like cod or tilapia, or try this recipe with crab and shrimp!
Our Nordic Blend is a versatile spice. If you're short on time, try sprinkling on lox and cream cheese with bagels, avocado toast, or over salmon (or any fish) before roasting.
Make a delicious marinade or vinaigrette with the Nordic Blend spice. Combine 1 Tbsp spice with 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin olive and 1 Tbsp lemon juice or your favorite vinegar (white wine, sherry, etc.).
Try using Nordic Spice in our delicious and satisfying (and vegan!) Nordic Potato Salad, or our Swedish Cucumber Red Onion Slad. How about serving this with our tasty Finnish Salmon Soup or our Nordic Potato Leek Soup?
If you enjoy fish, our Baked Salmon Meatballs or Fish Cakes with Mustard Aioli are sure to be a big hit!
Need to make standout hours d'oeuvres for a holiday party? Make this recipe for Smoked Trout Rillettes and your dish will be the talk of the crowd.
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