Salmon Burger
Serves 4
What to Pair With
We eat a lot of salmon at home, but sometimes an oven-roasted loin gets tired and boring. So here’s a way to take your fillet and transform in into a delicious sandwich.
I used Faroe Island salmon for this recipe (shout-out to Snug Harbor Fish) but just about any salmon would do. Not sure, however, I would use Sockeye for this particular dish because it can get a little fishy tasting when seared on the stove top. King salmon would be my favorite, but it’s not always available and it’s definitely the priciest of all the choices.
This recipe comes together quickly so make all your sides and gather the condiments ahead of time. I made a quick tartar sauce to go along and usually I split the burger rolls and put them on a sheet tray drizzled with olive oil under the broiler for a couple of minutes to toast.
When you process the salmon, use the pulse button on your machine so you can keep a careful eye on the mixture. You don’t want big chunks of fish but you also don’t want a fine pureé. As soon as it looks chopped up, stop mixing.
Handle the mixture delicately and lightly form into patties. I use two plastic lids (think big yogurt tops) to make all of my patties the same size. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Burgers
1 T olive oil
3 cups spinach, cooked
1.5 lb salmon (de-boned and skinned)
1 T Dijon mustard
2 t salt
1 stalk scallion-chopped
Tarter Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
5 cornichons – finely minced
Juice of 1/2 lemon (or 2 T pickle juice)
1 T drained and rinsed capers, roughly chopped
1 T fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 t salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix. Season with salt to taste.
Preparation
Burgers
Start by cooking the spinach in a skillet over medium low heat with a tablespoon of oil. Remove when wilted. Set aside.
Cut off about a quarter of the salmon and put it in a food processor with the mustard.
Process until you have a paste-like consistency. This will act as a binder for the rest of the mix.
Scrape down the sides of the container if necessary.
Cut the remaining salmon in chunks and add to the processor with the spinach and scallions.
Pulse until chopped and combined.
Form into four patties and cook in a pan on medium heat, turning over once. About 3 minutes per side.
Serve on toasted rolls, tartar sauce and toppings!
Chris Chisholm is a Certified Specialist of Wine and a graduate of Boston University Wine Studies and Wine Making programs. He is also a graduate of Cook Street School of Culinary Arts in Denver, CO. He has worked as a personal chef and chef instructor.
If you have any questions, email Chris at chris@snugharborwine.com. You can also follow Chris on Instagram @winechefchris for more delicious food photos!