​Grandma's Salmon Pea Wiggle

Grandma's Salmon Pea Wiggle

12/16/2020

Recipe submitted by: Kathy Quinn, staff member at Empowerment

My Grandmother used to cook this every time we went to visit in Vermont.

Ingredients:

3 cups whole milk
1/4 cup of butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cans (14.75 oz) salmon or fresh salmon
1 can (15 oz) baby peas
3 pinches of salt and pepper

Cook milk and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until it reaches a boil. Whisk in the flour stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in baby peas and heat back up. Add salmon and season with salt and pepper. Serve over toast. You can also serve it over crackers or rice.

Recipe submitted by: Kathy Quinn, staff member at Empowerment

25 Comments

Heather M Blanchard

1/9/2023 05:36:45 pm

I am from the Brattleboro, VT area and my grandma May used to make this all the time. We used to have it on toast. I make this in Florida, where I live now, just for memories sake. I always think of her when I make this:)

Cindy Spaulding

10/22/2023 08:48:02 am

Heather…I am glad it brings back loving memories of Vermont and the love your grandmother cooking. Although I am in Vermont every time I make it I have loving memories of my gram and my mother-in-law.

Duffy Dean

1/25/2024 04:27:08 pm

Grew up in Townshend vt,remember mother's salmon wiggle.think she added hard boiled chopped egg to her recipes

DAVID CAFARELLA

11/5/2024 09:02:18 am

ENJOY !!!

Gramma Mike

11/20/2024 05:25:40 am

From Vergennes Vt and grew up with salmon p wiggle

Noel Tetreault

10/13/2025 09:24:45 pm

Grew up in Maine, but my father who was from Vermont made this a lot. Ate it over toast, but most of the time, over boiled potatoes as from Maine had GREAT taters!

Don Hunt

10/23/2023 12:14:13 pm

Is there a monopoly of salmon pea wiggle in VT. I haven’t had this meal in decades, but often ate it in Island Pond, VT where I grew up. Having an abundance of leftover salmon, I’m giving this recipe a try this evening.

Serene

2/17/2025 12:08:00 am

This is so funny! Vermonter here and grew up with this as one of my favorites and decided I need to make it for my kiddo but started searching for a recipe based on pictures because most of the first recipes I found didn’t look like at all like what I remembered, until I found this one! It looks exactly like what I grew up eating! Then I start reading the posts and everyone’s from Vermont or New England! Maybe this recipe is New England salmon pea wiggle?? LOL

Cora

3/11/2025 06:37:25 pm

These comments are funny, but such a delight to read. I am a true Vermonter also who grew up on this meal. My parents having 16 kids, yup 16, this was a cheap but delicious meal for my mother to make, along with corn chowder and Hamburg soup. As I was in the super market grabbing a few items to make this, the cashier asked me what I was making and I told her salmon & pea wiggle for the food bank. An elderly man behind me said, oh that sounds so good I haven’t had that since I was a kid as my mother used to make it. I do believe that was a 50s & 60s household meal that we don’t see or hear people making today. So I told the gentlemen if he can get to the food bank tomorrow he can have a bowl and go back to his child hood ..Will be looking to see if he appears.

Chris Otto

1/13/2024 07:30:58 pm

My mother used to make this all the time and it was the all-time favorite Greenfield Massachusetts go Northern New England it is what is January 14th 2024 and I thank you for all your posts I'm making this right now

Kelly Hawes

3/23/2024 10:16:10 am

My ultimate comfort food, that my mom made. She was from Orfordville NH but my Dad was from Norwich Vt. She always insisted on canned red salmon ( she'd say pink was cat food!) and frozen peas served on saltines.

Greg Rivard

3/26/2024 06:17:14 pm

I grew up near Newport Vermont where our Grandmother would make salmon pea wiggle for us as kids. I just had a craving for it and stubbled across this recipe. Now living in Wisconsin have access to a great salmon fishery so will definitely give this one a try.

David L Cafarella

4/1/2024 03:07:33 pm

2 cans (14.75 oz) salmon or fresh salmon

Does that mean a two, 14 75 punch cans, or two cans for a TOTAL of 14.75 ounces???

Stacy Gile

5/16/2024 05:10:08 pm

I second the monopoly on this being a Vermont dish. My husband grew up in VT and loves it. I'm making it tonight, here in Montana. Going to try some smoked salmon in it.

Mark McKenna

11/5/2024 06:34:47 am

I am from Maine and my grandmother used to make this often. I remember it being sooooo gooood !!! I think she added boiled eggs. I am going to make it today. I have some leftover air fried Atlantic salmon that should be awesome in this delicious sauce!

Kris

12/1/2024 10:58:21 am

I went to UVM in the late 80’s and worked at Shelbuene farms. The scottish chef there made this for us as staff meal with salmon steaks. I had always thought it was a Scottish dish, but after reading the comments, I guess it’s a VT disk! Making tonight!

Gramma Mike

12/3/2024 07:35:11 pm

Kris hope you did try it.Im sure you most of had the great cheese from Shelburne Farms

Victoria Cole Brofman

1/22/2025 07:56:31 am

I am from New Hampshire and grew up
On Salmon P Wiggle (that’s how it’s spelt in my Grandmother’s recipe book)! My family has lived in the same northern part of NH (Coos County) for over 270’years (father) and 174 years (mom’s family) and never in VT! So I don’t think it’s a VT thing! I think it’s a traditional New England dish! We even used to be served this in our school cafeteria! (Although some times they substituted tuna) and sometimes my mom would bake a large freshly caught trout and if there was any left she would use it to make this!

Ashley

3/18/2025 09:04:12 am

My grandma made this for all of us growing up. She was from Vermont. I loooooved it. She would actually use tuna instead because it was cheaper. In my opinion it pairs best with saltines! This recipe is very similar to hers. I’m very excited to try this one out because I’ve been craving it for years. Hopefully my kids will try it and like it but not many people who didn’t grow up on it seem to like it!

Gramma Mike

3/18/2025 10:14:54 am

Saltines are my favorite also

Debbie

3/27/2025 02:09:11 pm

I just made Salmon Wiggle two nights ago. We really like it and it sure does bring back memories! I always bring my Mom some when I make it. She's a young 94 yrs! Yup, I grew up in VT and left for about 5 years and have been back for the last 44 plus years. I doubt I'll move away again!

Grammy Mike

3/27/2025 02:14:04 pm

We all come back,

Donna Rhodes

3/30/2025 10:34:34 pm

A childhood favorite! Born and raised in Western Massachusetts, we had salmon or tuna P Wiggle often! I just remembered it tonight, and was so excited to locate this recipe and see that it’s definitely a New England favorite of many!!! Definitely a comfort food that we all love!

Mandy Gardner link

8/1/2025 03:48:02 pm

I got canned salmon from the food bank. I want to figure an easy way to eat it. I was thinking about tuna pea wiggle that my mother made because she didnt like the smelly canned salmon. I will see whether i can tolerate stinky fish tonight.

Patricia Morrison

2/2/2026 10:22:34 am

My parents were born, raised, and married in the
St Johnsbury, Vermont area. Salmon Pea Wiggle was a favorite family meal. This brought back such good memories!

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