Salmon Burgers – First Attempt

With the summer grilling season upon us I am venturing to try as many different burger styles as I can. I plan to wait until the end to try some beef variations, something I have done many times before.

I saw a recipe two weeks ago for Salmon Burgers at the Ardent Epicure / Magic of Spice blog. Because I hadn’t made burgers from fish before I used this recipe as a guide hoping to get the proportions right and a result worth evaluating. I did veer off when it came to flavors and the final preparation, but that is where the fun comes in. The recipe was a handy guide and the complete preparation from the blog would make a great meal.

The recipe I used can be found below. The process was quite straightforward and did not require any special equipment or a lot of time. They cook quickly which is a bonus when you get home late on a weeknight.

Upon eating the burgers I was immediately sure that that the adornment of the burgers with a fresh salsa certainly enhanced the flavors. The burgers as I prepared them were mild in flavor, but had a wonderful texture and a nice crisp coating on the outside. I considered what I would do the next time.

I would add more salt to the mix and swap out the jalapeno cheese for regular cheddar and some habanero pepper sauce. More flavor there. I would also add some ground cumin and chopped cilantro to the mix also for more flavor. Where I am going is typical for me. I don’t add a lot of stuff on top of my burgers, I like the flavor to be in them. I dress them up with cheese, lettuce and tomato and sometimes some mayonnaise, which would work well here too; although I don’t think it would be a big change.

I did not find a good wine match to go with these burgers and I tried two different wines available the night I cooked the burgers. The first was the Miguel Torres Tormenta 2009 Organically Grown Viognier from Chile. The wine was very dry for a Viognier and the burger accentuated the dryness and made the wine taste a bit tart. I then switched to a bottle of a Chilean Pinot Noir we made with some friends and found a better match, but no sparks.

I will be making these burgers again, applying some of the changes I mentioned above and looking for better beverage pairings to create a super summer meal. The next burger adventure is going to be with ground turkey and some spice ideas culled from some of the new shows on the Cooking Channel.

Recipe for Salmon Burgers
(makes 3 large patties)

9oz boneless salmon filet
12 whole wheat crackers
3 tbsp light mayo
1 tbsp country style Dijon mustard
2 tsp chopped fresh drill
3 oz shredded jalapeno cheddar cheese
½ small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp butter
3 small whole wheat pitas, cut open
Sliced tomato and lettuce for garnish

• Pulse crackers in the food processor to small crumbs, set side
• Combine mayo, mustard and dill in a small bowl, set aside
• Shred cheese and set aside
• Finely chop onion, set aside
• Remove the skin from the salmon and cut in medium sized chunks
• Process in the food processor until it has a smooth texture and some pieces still visible
• Scrape into large bowl, mix in mayo/mustard, crackers, cheese, onion, salt, pepper and lime juice
• Form into 3 patties
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and melt butter in pan
• Cook patties about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and pale pink in the middle
• Top with cheese after flipping, if desired
• Use the pitas, tomato and lettuce to make 3 burgers.

Cheers!

--Jason