Fisherman’s Pancakes

My 2013 “Fisherman’s Pancakes” from a 1937 recipe from the Edith Adams Omnibus. Photo: C. Hagemoen.

Fisherman’s Pancakes
Make a batter of the following:
1 egg beaten
⅓ cup milk
¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
in to this well-beaten batter fold:
1 cup cooked salmon, boned and flaked
1 slice of cooked and minced bacon
Fry on a slightly oiled griddle until bubbly, turn and fry to a golden brown. Serve at once.
Here is a pancake recipe which is ideal to serve at lunch time if your breakfasters have time for only toast and coffee in the morning. It is also a good way to use up any left over cooked salmon. This won a prize for Mrs. J.W. Lloyd, Nanoose.
From the ca. 1937 Edith Adam’s Prize Winners 4^th Annual Cook Book

For my attempt I used whole smoked salmon and even added another slice of bacon. Unfortunately, they didn’t quite turn out the way I expected.

Most basic pancake recipes call for a little melted butter or oil in the mixture – I think this would have made a better batter. I also think the addition of some corn kernels or diced bell pepper or sliced green onion would have complemented the richness of the salmon and bacon nicely. However, these additions might not have been realistic for the time in which the recipe was created. In the 1930s and 1940s there was a real need for economy in the kitchen when rationing restricted purchases of meat, sugar and butter. People in general ate more simply, whether by necessity or by design.  When it came to food and eating, there was simply less choice and variety. Or, as my often father recalled from his childhood – “you got what you were given, and liked it”.

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