Perfect Salmon Burgers

Perfect, indeed.

Perfect Salmon Burgers
Courtesy of Food Network Magazine

1 1/4 pounds center-cut salmon fillet, skin and pin bones removed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 scallions, chopped
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing 4 brioche buns, split 
Tartar sauce and arugula, for topping

Cut three-quarters of the salmon into 1/4-inch pieces. Put in a large bowl. Cut the rest of the salmon into chunks; transfer the chunks to a food processor along with the mustard, mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest and cayenne. Pulse to make a paste. 

Add the pureed salmon mixture to the bowl with the diced salmon. Add the scallions, 2 tablespoons panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste. Gently mix until just combined.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with olive oil. Divide the salmon mixture into 4 mounds on the parchment paper. With damp hands, pat into 4-inch-wide, 3/4-inch-thick patties. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Spread the remaining 1 cup panko on a plate. Press both sides of the salmon patties in the panko. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties (in batches if necessary) and cook until browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes, adjusting the heat if necessary. Turn and cook until the other side is browned and the patties feel springy in the center, 3 to 4 more minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; season with salt.

Meanwhile, arrange the buns, cut-side up, on a broiler pan and broil until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the patties on the buns; top with tartar sauce and arugula.

Sweet and Sassy Turkey Burgers

These are named appropriately. And doing them on the grill added a bit more depth of flavor, which nicely cut the sweetness.

Sweet and Sassy Turkey Burgers
A variation on this recipe from Taste of Home

6 bacon strips, diced and cooked
1/4 cup dried cranberries 
1 tablespoon maple syrup 
1 teaspoon rubbed sage 
1/8 teaspoon pepper 
1-1/4 pounds extra-lean ground turkey 
1 Italian turkey sausage link (4 ounces), casing removed 
3 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut in half 
6 onion rolls, split 
6 tablespoons jellied cranberry sauce 
6 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise 
6 lettuce leaves
  
In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Crumble turkey and sausage over mixture and mix well. Shape into six burgers. 

Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165°F and juices run clear. Top with cheese; cook 1-2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. 

Toast the rolls; spread warm rolls with cranberry sauce and mayonnaise. Serve burgers on rolls with lettuce.

BLT Turkey Burgers

Another turkey burger recipe that I was able to use with my lovely grill. These were very tasty, but really, you add bacon and basil mayo as toppings, so how could they be bad, right?

My mom was over for dinner and helped me figure out why it was taking forever to cook anything on the grill. I'm apparently jumping the charcoal gun a bit. I don't really mind babysitting the grill because it produces such delicious food, but I'm happy to know that things will be a tiny bit speedier if I just let the charcoal heat up a bit more before putting the food on. I can't wait to try another grilling recipe soon!

Oh, the only thing I did different in this recipe was use turkey instead of chicken. And that was only because I couldn't find ground chicken at Target the day I went grocery shopping. I don't think it made a huge difference.

BLT Turkey Burgers
A variation on this recipe from Sunset



1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon each fresh lemon juice and finely shredded lemon zest
4 onion kaiser rolls, split
8 strips bacon (about 8 ounces), cooked until crisp
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
4 leaves romaine lettuce

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for medium heat (350°F to 450°F; you can hold your hand 5 inches above cooking grate only 5 to 7 seconds).

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, gently mix turkey, cheeses, garlic, salt, and pepper. Form into 4 burgers about 3/4-inch thick, making a slight depression in center of each patty (this helps keep burgers flat as they cook). Put on a plate, cover, and refrigerate until ready to grill.

In a blender, whirl mayonnaise, basil, lemon juice, and lemon zest together and refrigerate until ready to use. With a silicone brush or oiled paper towels, lightly oil cooking grate.

Grill burgers, covered, turning once, until browned and no longer pink inside (cut to test), 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer burgers to a clean plate and place buns, cut sides down, on grill until lightly browned, 30 seconds.

Spread toasted sides of buns with basil mayonnaise. Set a turkey patty on each bun bottom and top each with 2 strips bacon, a tomato slice, and a lettuce leaf. Cover with bun top.

Perfect Turkey Burger

A moist turkey burger! Charcoal grilling makes everything taste better, but I never thought I could also achieve a moist turkey burger. It really is the perfect turkey burger. I paired it with my first attempt at grilled corn and some greens, and the meal was a big big hit. Even Jillie had some. And liked it! Winning.

The only thing I did differently was use regular hamburger buns rather than English muffins. And, of course, I didn't get a picture because they were gone before I realized I should have taken one. I doubled the recipe though, so hopefully I will remember to take a picture of the ones in my freezer that I'll be making soon.

Perfect Turkey Burger
Courtesy of Food Network Magazine

1 large portobello mushroom cap
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped shallot
3 tablespoons lightly packed fresh parsley
1 1/4 pounds 85% to 93% lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 thin slices manchego or white cheddar cheese
4 English muffins, split
Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and sliced avocado, for topping

Use a spoon to scrape out the gills from the underside of the mushroom cap. Cut the cap into 1-inch pieces and transfer to a food processor. Add the shallot and parsley and pulse until chopped.

Transfer the mushroom mixture to a large bowl. Add the turkey, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; gently mix with your hands until just combined. Divide into 4 balls, then lightly press into 4-inch-wide, 1-inch-thick patties. Put on a large plate, cover and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat a grill to medium. Brush the grates with olive oil. Grill the patties, undisturbed, until marked on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Give the patties a quarter turn and cook until marked again, 4 to 5 more minutes. Flip the patties and grill until cooked through, 6 to 7 more minutes; top each with 2 slices cheese during the last 3 minutes of cooking and cover with a disposable aluminum pan to melt.

Toast the English muffins on the grill, then spread with mustard and mayonnaise. Serve the patties on the English muffins; top with avocado.

Grilled Turkey Burgers with Monterey Jack and Smoky Aioli

This was an interesting adventure in grilling. I thought I had started the grill with enough time to finish cooking everything before having to go get Jonathan at the train station, but as the time got closer, it became obvious that the burgers were nowhere near done. So I had to leave, and I decided to leave them on the grill in the hopes that if I left the vent in the cover open, I would come home to relatively well-cooked turkey burgers.

Jonathan's train was late, which made for a stressful ride home. But in the end, it worked! They were a little more done than I probably would have had them be if I hadn't had to leave, but they tasted great. The smokiness of the aioli paired so beautifully with the charcoal flavor of the grill. I'm looking forward to doing this again... with a little less stress next time.

I didn't toast the seeds for the aioli because I didn't have cumin seeds on hand, so I just used the ground version of each spice. I also didn't feel like having chunks of garlic in the aioli, so I used garlic powder instead.

Grilled Turkey Burgers with Cheddar and Smoky Aioli
Courtesy of Bon Appétit



1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 pound ground dark-meat turkey
4 1/3 -inch-thick red onion slices
1 large or 2 small red bell peppers, quartered
4 slices white cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
4 sesame-seed hamburger buns
Arugula
Pickle wedges
Corn chips

Toast cumin seeds and coriander seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until aromatic and slightly darker in color, shaking skillet often, about 1 1/2 minutes. Cool. Finely grind toasted seeds in spice grinder or in mortar with pestle. Whisk mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, smoked paprika, garlic, and ground spices in small bowl. Season aioli to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Aioli can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Place turkey in medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons aioli; mix gently. Using damp hands, divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, then form each into scant 3/4-inch thick patty, about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Using thumb, make small indentation in center of each burger. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Sprinkle burgers with salt and pepper. Brush onion slices and bell pepper pieces with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill onions and bell peppers until soft and charred, about 4 minutes per side.

Grill turkey burgers 5 minutes. Turn over; grill until almost cooked through, about 4 minutes. Top each burger with 1 cheese slice and grill until meat is cooked through and cheese melts, about 1 minute longer. Place 1 turkey burger on each of 4 bun bottoms. Arrange grilled red pepper pieces, then grilled red onion slices over. Top each with dollop of aioli and some arugula. Cover burgers with bun tops and serve with pickle wedges and corn chips.

Big Bird Burger

Yes, that's right. I made Big Bird Burgers this week... No, they're not really made from Big Bird. If I was going to eat any children's show character, it would probably be Barney. Not because I think he'd be particularly tasty, but because I think he's incredibly annoying.

These burgers are easy to make and easy to freeze for later use. Rachael Ray is a little on the crazy side in terms of portion sizes. So while she claims this recipe makes 4 burgers, I've found the couple of times I've made it that it really makes 8.

I imagine this recipe could be a good way to try to sneak vegetables into your children... Unless your children are like my children in that they won't eat anything that looks even slightly different than a chicken nugget or a sandwich that includes cheese, peanut butter, or jelly. Maybe some day they'll enjoy my cooking...

Edited to add (1/16/12):
Dear self from almost 3 years ago,
Both of your kids ate this tonight. And one of them snuggled up to you afterward and told you how much he loves your cooking. Woooooooooo!

Big Bird Burger
A variation on this recipe by Rachael Ray



1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung dry
2 pounds ground turkey
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, plus some for slathering on the rolls
10 leaves of fresh basil, shredded or torn
3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley (a handful), chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
20 white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
Sliced cheese (whichever kind strikes your fancy, I've used Provolone and American)
Kaiser rolls or sandwich-size sourdough English muffins, split and toasted
Any other topping of your choice (i.e. lettuce, tomatoes, etc.)

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Put the spinach in a mixing bowl and combine with the turkey, shallots, 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Make 8 patties of equal size. Drizzle the patties with oil and place them in the hot skillet. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes on each side, until the turkey is cooked through.

Preheat a second medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the sliced mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are nice and brown. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Add the broth and cook until the pan is almost dry, about 2 minutes.

Top the burgers with the mushroom topping and the cheese. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Turn off the pan and let the cheese melt, about 2 minutes.

Slather the tops of the buns or English muffins with a little mustard. Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and top with any other toppings. Put the bun or muffin tops in place.