Go, Gadget, Go!

Aren’t devices fascinating? Especially when they’re put to use in the kitchen, creating something new and delectable. Such is the case this week, as innovation led to the burger press, which in turn produced the luscious, flavorful Salmon Burgers shown above. Many more details to come, but here’s the gadget that started it all:

In no time flat, this tool formed into burgers hearty ground salmon blended with flavorful herbs. Then onto the grill they went to be seared to juicy perfection and served on toasted, buttery brioche buns and piled with a medley of refreshing summer herbs. Thus, cookout season kicks into gear with the Salmon Burgers with Pickled Cucumbers Bon Appetit presented in its August 2020 issue.

Central to the concept, of course, are the salmon patties. Here they are, on the way to summer greatness:

Any kind of salmon is a wonderful addition to the rotation of backyard dinners, but today brings the very top variety, King (or Chinook) salmon. It has a particularly deep, smooth flavor, and its silky texture blends beautifully with the mayonnaise, garlic, ginger and scallions. Now, imagine the succulence the tasty interior will release while the surface takes on a light char.

What could top this? Very little, actually, but a whole garden of tender, cooling veggies and herbs sure is going to try. Here’s cucumber, that supreme refresher, herbed up in pickle form. Mint and cilantro too, each knowing a thing or two about freshness. Throw in thinly sliced serrano chiles for random bursts of tingle, and you have a crunchy, breezy counterpoint to the savory burger and the creamy sauce beneath.

Sure, the patties could’ve been shaped by hand, but the press forms a particularly teeming concentration of flavors. A feature backyard celebrants definitely will appreciate. Plus, look at those smooth edges. Nice and neat, and nothing to distract the excellence. Go, go, Gadget Burger Maker!

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As though anticipating the cooling spell cucumbers cast, Spoonflower artist Susan Starkey designed “Just Cucumbers.” How refreshing, and Starkey’s cucumbers are anything but merely “just.”

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Salmon Burgers with Pickled Cucumbers

• 1-and-1/2 pound boneless, skinless center-cut salmon, patted dry and cut into 2-inch pieces (*1)
• 5 scallions
• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated (*2)
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 2 tablespoons plus 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 4 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar, divided
• 3 medium Persian cucumbers, shaved lengthwise (*3)
• 1/2 serrano chile, very thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 2 cups tender herbs, such as mint and/or cilantro
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seed, optional
• 4 brioche buns, lightly toasted

Process one third of salmon in a food processor, scraping down sides as needed, until paste-like. Add remaining salmon and pulse until pieces are no bigger than a quarter inch. Take care not to make it too smooth. Transfer to a large bowl.

Remove the dark green tops from the scallions and finely chop. Thinly slice the withe and pale green parts and set aside. Add chopped scallions, ginger, garlic, two tablespoons mayonnaise and one teaspoon of salt to the salmon and gently mix to combine. Form mixture into four patties about 3/4-inch thick. (*4) Transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour, and up to three hours.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix sesame oil, one teaspoon vinegar, remaining 2/3 cup mayonnaise and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Toss cucumbers with a pinch of salt in another small bowl. Massage with your hands to soften and to expel liquid. Add chile, sugar and two teaspoons vinegar and toss to coat. Cover and chill pickles until ready to assemble burgers.

Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Remove salmon patties from refrigerator and sprinkle with rice flour just to coat the outside. Working in batches, and adding more oil between the batches if needed, cook patties until golden brown, about three minutes per side. (*5)

In a medium bowl, toss herbs, sesame seeds (if using), reserved white and pale green parts of scallions, remaining teaspoon of vinegar and a pinch of salt. Build burgers with buns, patties, herb mixture, pickles, and reserved sauce.

NOTES:

1 – If you can find King salmon, how fortunate! Any variety would be good, actually, but King is the best. By far.

2 – Why bother peeling? Ginger skin is soft, edible, and it tastes the same as does the rest of the root. Don’t waste time getting rid of it. The ginger’s going to be grated, after all.

3 – Or, a large English cucumber.

4 – Use your hands, or a nifty device! I’m a guy, so you know what my vote’s going to be.

5 – Better yet, fire up the grill. Summer’s here; go out and luxuriate in its balminess. Pan-searing over a hot stove is so January, for crying out loud!