May is burger month and in planning for my Memorial Day Burger Bash I wanted to have something for my non-red-meat-eating friends. (Stay tuned for the burger for the no-meat-at-all friends a.k.a the vegetarians). I made a similar recipe years ago and recently uncovered it. If you like salmon, you will love this burger… and this is a grilled burger, not a fish cake. As far as an alternative to beef burger, this one hits the big flavor you want in a burger.
Ask your fish monger to remove the skin from the salmon and, if he is willing, the pin bones as well. Oh, and be sure to get a piece with some nice belly fat. I suppose the salmon could be cut into chunks and put it through the meat grinder, but I wasn’t feeling like hauling that out and then cleaning it up. Instead I cut the fish into 1/2- to 1-inch chunk, spread it out on a plate and put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Then transferred it to the food processor and pulsed it 7 or 8 times until it was chopped into pieces no bigger than 1/4-inch. Be careful not to let it get any smaller than that or you will be dealing with salmon pâté.
I made extra Smoke Roasted Tomatoes to use on the sliders. To contrast the concentrated tomato flavor, I wanted some greens that were going to have a little bite and the watercress did the trick – baby arugula or rocket would have worked equally as well. A touch of smoked paprika to the briny green olive aïoli and when slathered on the salmon slider, it all comes together in an amazing flavorful bite.
- For Green Olive Aïoli:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup finely chopped Spanish olives
- 2 cloves garlic, grated with a Microplane
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- Grated zest from ½ lemon
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 1 to 2 pinches smoked paprika
- 1 large pinch of kosher salt
- 1 small pinch cayenne pepper
- -
- For Sliders:
- 1½ pounds king salmon fillet, skinned and bones removed
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
- 1 clove garlic grated
- Grated zest from ½ lemon
- 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
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- 8 soft white slider buns
- Watercress
- Smoke Roasted Tomatoes (optional)
- For Green Olive Aïoli:
- In a small bowl, stir to combine all ingredients until well-combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- For Sliders: Cut salmon into ½- to 1-inch pieces, spread in a single layer on a plate and place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and pulse 7 to 8 times or until coarsely minced (do not over process).
- In a large bowl, toss to combine the remaining ingredients, except the mustard and egg, until well combined. In a small bowl, beat the egg with the mustard, add to the bread crumbs along with the fish and toss until well blended. Form into patties about the same size as the bun. cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Patties can be made a day ahead.
- Set up grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Brush and oil grate well before cooking. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until done. (Be careful not to overcook as burgers will dry out.) Serve hot on slider buns dressed with watercress, smoked tomato, and Green Olive Aïoli.
Cheers and Happy Grilling!
~Jeff
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