Asian Salmon Burgers
Serves 4
Adapted from Mark Bittman, New York Times
Even frozen salmon tastes great when paired with Asian Salmon Burgers’ bold spicing. The technique used, finely grinding part of the salmon in a food processor and using this to bind the patty together, is Mark Bittman’s innovation. It’s a genius idea, and one that lends itself to numerous flavor variations, as Bittman describes in his article. Although regular soy sauce works just fine, lately I’ve been enjoying extra flavor added by mushroom soy sauce; Healthy Boy brand makes a good version. If you don’t want to bother making Lime, Cilantro and Edamame Spread (but, really, it’s hardly any bother), the burgers are just fine on their own, with a little lettuce, onion, and tomato.
1 pound skinless salmon fillets
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup shallot, peeled and chunked (approximately 1 large)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce, preferably mushroom soy sauce
1 Tbsp. finely minced ginger
1 tsp. finely minced garlic
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
1/3 cup Panko
Freshly ground black pepper
Wash salmon and dry it well. Using needle-nosed pliers or tweezers, remove as many pin-bones from salmon as possible. Cut salmon into chunks.
Put 1/4 of salmon in food processor, along with mustard, shallot, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. Process until you have smooth paste, stopping several times to scrape down sides of bowl. Add remaining salmon and pulse machine off and on to chop salmon chunks and combine them with paste; don’t turn remaining salmon into paste –it should be in 1/4” pieces at the end.
Scrape mixture into bowl. Add Panko and freshly ground black pepper and mix into salmon with your hands. Divide into four parts and shape into patties. Cover well and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Pan-fry in olive oil over medium-high heat, or grill outside, on grill pan, or on George Foreman or similar electric grill.
Serve with grilled hamburger buns and Lime, Cilantro and Edamame Spread.