AIP salmon patties pan-fried with tigernut butter, grated carrot, pumpkin, and gelatin as egg replacement

Egg-free cooking is its own quiet project on AIP, and canned salmon patties are the kind of dish you actually remember to make on a tired night. There is no carton of eggs sitting in the fridge waiting to expire before you use it, no trip out to find a specialty binder, just a can from the pantry, some grated carrot, and gelatin doing a job you never asked it to do before. Learning a whole new toolkit for basic kitchen questions like 'what holds this together now' is real adjustment, even when the ingredient list looks short.

Salmon sits near the top of the list for dietary omega-3 fat, and those fats are thought to play a part in how the body manages its inflammatory signaling, the kind that stays elevated when an Autoimmune condition is active. The bones in the can, once mashed into the mixture, are a source of calcium too, and leaving them in is exactly why the can is worth buying in the first place.

A can of wild salmon holds a fish's whole life, and using the bones instead of the fillet alone is a small, real way of not wasting what that life gave. Press the patties with your hands, cook them in good fat, and set a few slices of avocado or a wedge of lemon next to them before you sit down. The plate does not need to be complicated to be cared for.

Ingredients

• 1 large (14-ounce) can wild salmon, bones included
• 1/2 cup grated carrot (or parsnip)
• 1/4 cup tigernut butter
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin (or smashed cooked parsnip)
• 1/4 cup avocado oil, for frying
• 2 teaspoons gelatin
• 1 teaspoon dried dill or dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Tigernut butter is made from tigernuts, which are tubers - not tree nuts. They are fully AIP-compliant and bring a mild, slightly sweet flavour that works well in savoury patties. Do not substitute tahini (sesame, a seed) or nut butters (excluded on elimination).

The bones in canned salmon are soft and mash completely into the mixture. They add calcium and contribute to the overall binding. Leave them in.

The gelatin acts as the binder here in place of egg. Use plain unflavoured gelatin - it is sprinkled in dry and activates once mixed with the moist ingredients.

Method

Drain the salmon and turn it into a medium bowl. Break up the fish with a fork until it is finely flaked, mashing the soft bones in as you go. Discard any large pieces of skin.

Add the grated carrot, tigernut butter, canned pumpkin, gelatin, dried herb, and salt. Mix everything together thoroughly. The mixture should be moist but firm enough to hold a shape when pressed between your palms. If it seems too loose, let it rest for a few minutes - the gelatin will firm things up.

Divide the mixture into 6 to 8 portions. Press each portion firmly into a round patty about 3/4 inch thick.

Heat the avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, place the patties in the pan without crowding. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side without moving them - this is what builds the crust. Flip carefully with a thin spatula and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until the second side is golden and firm.

Work in batches if needed. Transfer to a plate and serve warm.

Air fryer variation

Brush or lightly spray the formed patties with avocado oil on both sides. Place them in a single layer in the air fryer basket without overlapping. Cook at 375 F for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point, until the outside is golden and the patties are cooked through. The result is slightly drier than pan-frying but equally crisp and easier for batch cooking.

*Adapted from eatbeautiful.net (Megan Stevens)*