Salmon Burgers with Dill & Caper Tartar Sauce

Are you sensing a theme, here? I really do have a ‘thing’ for dill, and particularly for capers. I love the little buggers!! I made this recipe for dinner Saturday night, and it was good. I ate a leftover burger today, and it was phenomenal. So I would advise, if you make it, to give the flavors time to meld and blend. I didn’t use the Onion Ceviche (“sev-EE-chay” a style of “cold cooking”, where you use an acid, like lemon juice, to cook something without heat, in this case onions, but it’s very popular to do shrimp and other seafood this way)on my burger, but Steve said it was yummy.

Credit for this recipe (and the picture, too) belongs to Melissa at I Breathe…I’m Hungry.

For the Ceviche

1/2 red onion
1 lemon

For the Tartar Sauce

1 Tbl capers, drained & chopped
1/2 tsp caper brine from jar
2 Tbl dill pickles or cornichons, chopped
1 Tbl fresh dill, roughly chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream

For the burgers

1 lb fresh salmon, preferably not farmed
1 egg
1-2 slices italian bread
1 tbl soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 diced scallion or garlic chive
8 slices of cooked bacon
2 cups arugula

First, slice the onions very thin and add them to the lemon juice.  The acid in the juice will soften and mellow them adding a nice lemony tang.

Second, combine all the ingredients for the tartar sauce and set aside so the flavors can meld by the time your burgers are done.

Finally, chop the salmon and bread into rough pieces about 1/2 inch in size.  Add the other ingredients except for the bacon and mix gently.  Heat about 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a heavy duty pan and test cook a small bite of the mixture to make sure it’s seasoned correctly.  Taste it with the condiments so you don’t adjust too much (if at all) and over season it.  Form your patties gently and cook over medium heat until golden but DO NOT OVERCOOK!  You’ll only need a few minutes per side.  While cooking the burgers heat about a tablespoon of butter  in another pan.  Toast your rolls or thickly sliced sourdough bread in the butter until golden and set aside.

When your burgers are done drain them slightly on a paper towel to blot up the extra oil.  Place about 1 cup of arugula on each bun and top with the bacon.  Layer on the burgers, red onions and tartar sauce (in that order), and finish with the top of the bun.  Make sure you have lots of napkins handy!

Best. Salmon Burger. Ever.