Recipe- Beat The Monday Blues With Salmon Burger

Fire up the grill, y'all! Barbecue season has officially kicked off, and we are adding new recipes to the cook-out lineup. Beef, turkey, chicken – burgers will always have a place at our backyard get-togethers, and this season we are adding more flavors and ingredients to the list.

Enter the salmon burger. This recipe starts with cubed skinless salmon filets, which meets a flavorful mash up of ingredients that includes hoisin sauce, egg white, and gochujang, which you blend in a food processor. (Yes, the food processor will be your best friend in this recipe.)

Once blended, you'll shape them into burgers. (Our Test Kitchen warns against overmixing in the processor. If the patty mixture is too smooth it will be challenging to hold a patty shape.) Top finished burgers on a brioche bun, smear with mayo, and garnish with pickled cucumbers, onion, and radishes.

Ingredients

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 cup thinly sliced English cucumber (from 1 medium cucumber)
1 (1 1/2-lb.) skinless salmon fillet, cubed
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon gochujang or sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise (such as Kewpie)
4 brioche hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted
1 1/2 cups shredded napa cabbage (from 1 [3-lb.] head cabbage)
3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (from 1 small onion)
3/4 cup thinly sliced radishes (from 6 oz. radishes)

Method

- Place water, vinegar, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the salt in a small pot. Heat over high, undisturbed, until sugar and salt dissolve, about 2 minutes.

- Place cucumbers in a small heatproof bowl. Pour mixture over cucumber; let stand at room temperature 20 minutes (or covered, in refrigerator up to 24 hours).

- Place salmon, egg white, hoisin, gochujang, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped, about 30 pulses. Shape mixture evenly into 4 (1-inch-thick) patties. Place patties on a plate; refrigerate 15 minutes.

- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add patties; cook until lightly browned and a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of patties registers 145°F, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

- Spread mayonnaise evenly over cut sides of toasted buns. Layer bottom bun halves evenly with cabbage, patties, pickled cucumber, onion, and radishes. Replace top bun halves.