Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Bagel Fritters
Crisp golden bagel-and-egg patties with smoked salmon folded through, served with a tangy cream cheese and chive sauce. A fast stovetop breakfast that eats like a proper meal.
- Total
- 18 min
- Prep 8 · Cook 10
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Pan-frying · Folding
- Savory
- Quick
- Stovetop
Instructions
-
Tear the bagel into chunks and grate it on the coarse side of the box grater into coarse crumbs about the size of small peas. You should have roughly 1 cup of crumbs.
~3 min
Coarse crumbs create air pockets that let steam escape, keeping the fritters light and crisp instead of gluey.
Grate the bagel on the coarse side of the box grater rather than blending it: fine dust turns the patties gluey, while coarse crumbs stay light and crisp at the edges.
-
In the mixing bowl, beat the egg with 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Stir in the bagel crumbs and let them soak for 2 minutes so the mixture holds together.
~2 min
Soaking the crumbs in egg lets them hydrate and bind, so the patties hold together without falling apart.
-
Flake 40 g of the smoked salmon into the bowl and fold it through gently, keeping some pieces intact. Divide the mixture into two equal patties about 1.5 cm thick.
~2 min
Folding Use a gentle lifting and turning motion to keep salmon pieces intact. Overmixing breaks the flakes and makes the mixture dense.
-
Heat the oil in the non-stick frying pan over medium heat until a crumb sizzles on contact. Fry the patties 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden and firm to the touch, then drain on a plate.
~8 min
Medium heat sets the egg through before the crust burns, and frying gives a deep golden crust.
Keep the pan at medium heat. If the fritters brown in under 2 minutes the oil is too hot and the egg inside will still be raw.
Pan-frying Heat oil over medium until a crumb sizzles on contact. Fry 3–4 minutes per side to a deep golden, firm texture; if it browns faster, the oil is too hot and the egg will stay raw.
-
While step 4 cooks
While the fritters fry, mash the cream cheese in the small bowl with the remaining 20 g smoked salmon and half the chives. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper to make a tangy sauce.
~2 min
-
Serve the fritters hot with the cream cheese sauce spooned over and the remaining chives scattered on top.
~1 min