Salmon
burgers are a fresh, light alternative to the typical beef burger. But if you
go for a different “meat,” go for different condiments too. Instead of sliced
tomatoes, onions, and pickles, top the burgers with pickled vegetables, like
cucumber, red onion, and radishes.
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Vegetables for Pickling |
Instead of
mayo (or tartar sauce, since we’re talking fish), make a cool, refreshing
raita—a cold, creamy Indian side dish made with a tangy yogurt base and grated
or minced cucumber. Raita is typically used for dipping or, in this case, as a
sauce for the main dish. Additional raita ingredients are up to the cook.
I chose to bring a little spice to it with jalapeno and garlic. Good options
are grated carrots, minced scallions or olives, or a variety of chopped herbs,
especially mint or cilantro—all great complements to the pickled vegetables and
seared salmon.
Makes 3
burgers
Ingredients
For the Pickled Vegetables
- 1/3 cup
cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup
water
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 tsp
chopped ginger
- 1/2 tsp red
pepper flakes
- 12 very
thin slices of seedless cucumber
- 2 radishes, very thinly sliced
- 1/4 small
red onion, cut into very thin vertical strips
For the Raita
- 1/3 cup
plain Greek yogurt
- 3-inch piece of seedless cucumber, peeled
- 1 small jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- sea salt
For the Salmon Burgers
- 2 6-oz cans
of skinless, boneless salmon
- 1 large egg white, lightly whisked
- 1 scallion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup panko or other fine, dry breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 whole-wheat sandwich rolls, toasted
Preparation
For the Pickled Vegetables
- Combine the
first 5 ingredients (through red pepper flakes) in a medium bowl and stir well
to dissolve the sugar. Add the cucumber, radishes, and onion and press into the
liquid. Cover and chill at least 2 hours (may be chilled overnight). Drain well
before serving.
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Pickling Mixture for Vegetables |
|
Vegetables in Pickling Mixture |
|
Pickled Vegetables before Draining |
|
Drained Pickled Vegetables |
For the Raita
- Place the
yogurt in a small bowl.
- Using a
fine grater, grate the cucumber onto a cutting board. It will be very watery
and mushy. Gather the grated cucumber into the center of the board and press
with a few layers of paper towels. Repeat two or three times, until most of the
water has been absorbed.
|
Grated Cucumber, Pressed Dry |
- Add the cucumber, jalapeno, and garlic to the yogurt and season with salt. Stir
well to combine. Cover and chill until ready to use (may be chilled
overnight).
|
Spicy Raita |
For the Salmon Burgers
- Combine the first 6 ingredients (through mustard) in a medium bowl
and season with salt and pepper. Gently mix the ingredients without
over-mixing.
|
Salmon Mixture for Burgers |
- Divide and
form into 3 patties, flattening slightly. Cover and chill about 30 minutes.
(Refrigeration helps the ingredients stick together while cooking. Patties also may be refrigerated overnight.)
|
Salmon Patties |
- Heat a heavy, preferably cast-iron skillet, over medium heat and add the olive
oil. Add the salmon patties and cook until
golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
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Salmon Patties Beginning to Cook |
|
Cooked Salmon Patties |
To serve, place 1 burger on the bottom half of each roll
and top with pickled vegetables. Spread raita on the top half of each roll and
top the sandwiches. Slice in half before serving, if desired.
|
Salmon Burgers with Spicy Raita and Pickled Vegetables |
I could eat pickled red onion on anything. Gonna give it a go with radishes and cucs. I think Jicama might be good pickled.
ReplyDeleteHi, Ed, thanks for your comment. Great idea about jicama--I'm thinking that would be reallly good pickled!
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