Salmon & Crab Loaf

A fairly cheap and very easy main dish, which I made this way because I get so tired of the same old methods and ingredients. Instead of breadcrumbs I used butternut, which goes well with all fish. The butternut can be substituted with the same amount of sweet potato. Remember you don't have to peel butternut -- what a job that is! Slice in two and bake in the oven, the peel becomes soft, and the flesh can be scooped out. I used pre-prepared butternut chunks. Do adjust seasonings to taste, but it really does need a tangy mayonnaise. The ingredients are in almost all pantry cupboards! Cooking time includes roasting the butternut.

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 7  ounces  butternut squash, raw weight
• 1  tablespoon  oil
• 14  ounces salmon, canned
• 8  ounces  imitation crabmeat (also known as crabsticks)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1  tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2  teaspoons Thai fish sauce
• 2  teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
• 2  tablespoons spring onions, finely chopped
• 2  tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
• 2  tablespoons lime juice or 2  tablespoons lemon juice
• 1  teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or some chopped hot pepper) or 1  teaspoon  hot sauce (or some chopped hot pepper)
• 2  tablespoons  sesame oil or 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 3  tablespoons  tangy mayonnaise
• 2  eggs

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 deg F/180 deg Celsius.
2. Toss the butternut with the oil, then roast until soft, about 30 minutes (If using halved butternuts, bake until soft, then scoop out enough flesh to weigh 3 1/2 oz/100g. The 7 oz/200 g raw weight does shrink down to about 3 1/2 oz/100g when roasted, anyway).
3. Grease a bread tin of about 8 x 4 inches and about 3 inches deep with butter.
4. Drain the salmon and put in a large bowl. Remove crabsticks from coverings, and cut into the salmon, in thin rounds. Add the roasted butternut.
5. Add all the seasonings, from the ginger down to the sesame oil, and mix it all well with a fork, breaking up the butternut pieces.
6. Put the 3 tablespoons mayonnaise and 2 eggs in a bowl and whisk well. Add to the fish mixture.
7. Mix the whole caboodle well, until you have a slightly coarse mixture and all the ingredients have been well combined.
8. Scrape into the greased bread tin and smooth the top. If you like, sprinkle over breadcrumbs so the top doesn't dry out too much.
9. Bake about 1 - 1 1/4 hour, until firm.
10. Turn out carefully on a platter. Serve garnished with pickled cucumber or gherkins, extra mayonnaise, fried tomatoes, mashed potatoes, a green vegetable, and a salad. Use a serrated knife for slicing, or the slices might crumble.