Asian Burgers With Pickled Cucumbers Food

SALMON BURGERS WITH GINGER AND QUICK-PICKLED CUCUMBERS

Steps:

• Process one third of salmon (about 8 oz.) in a food processor, scraping down sides as needed, until very smooth and paste-like. Add remaining salmon and pulse until pieces are no bigger than ¼," 4-5 times (be careful not to make it too smooth). Transfer to a large bowl.
• Remove dark green tops from scallions and finely chop. Thinly slice white and pale green parts and set aside. Add chopped scallion greens, ginger, garlic, 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise, and 1 tsp. salt to salmon and gently mix to combine. Form mixture into 4 patties about ¾" thick. Transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Chill at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, mix sesame oil, 1 tsp. vinegar, remaining ⅔ cup mayonnaise, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl; set aside.
• Toss cucumbers with a pinch of salt in another small bowl. Massage with your hands for a few minutes to soften and expel liquid; discard liquid. Add chile, sugar, and 2 tsp. 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 flour just to coat the outside (you won't need all of it). The patties will be a little loose but you can always pat them back together with your hands before they hit the pan. Working in batches and adding more oil in between batches if needed, cook patties until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side (watch carefully; you don't want to overcook).
• Toss herbs, watercress, sesame seeds (if using), reserved white and pale green parts of scallions, remaining 1 tsp. vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Build burgers with buns, patties, herb mixture, pickles, and reserved sauce.

ASIAN BURGERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into eight patties., In two large skillets, cook burgers in oil over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 160°., Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise and wasabi; spread over buns. Serve burgers on buns with cabbage.

ASIAN SALMON BURGERS WITH PICKLED CUCUMBER ON PUMPERNICKEL

Steps:

• With a Japanese rotary slicer (see note this page) cut cucumber into 1 long spiral. (Alternatively, with a sharp knife cut cucumber into very thin slices.) In a bowl toss cucumber with vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste.
• In another bowl whisk together egg white, soy sauce, and gingerroot until combined well and stir in salmon, bread crumbs, scallions, mustard seeds, and salt to taste. In a food processor purée 1/3 cup salmon mixture and return to salmon mixture remaining in bowl. (Alternatively, chop 1/3 cup salmon mixture fine and mash to a paste with flat side of a knife.) Stir mixture to combine and form into four 3/4-inch-thick patties. Drain cucumber well.
• In a large non-stick skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and cook patties until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Cook patties, covered, over moderate heat until just cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Arrange lettuce leaves on 4 pumpernickel slices and top with salmon burgers, pickled cucumber, and remaining 4 pumpernickel slices.

KOREAN CHEESEBURGERS WITH SESAME-CUCUMBER PICKLES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add cucumbers and toss to coat, then let stand at room temperature.
• Heat broiler to high and set oven rack set 6 inches from heat. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, scallions, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Mix well, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Transfer 1 tablespoon of the marinade to a small bowl and stir in mayonnaise and ½ teaspoon sesame oil. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine beef and 3 tablespoons of the scallion marinade. Gently mix to incorporate. Form into 8 thin patties (each about 4 ½ inches wide) and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush tops with half of the remaining marinade. Flip and brush with the remaining marinade. Broil until golden and caramelized on top, about 4 minutes.
• Arrange cheese on 4 patties, top with the remaining patties and let stand until cheese melts, about 1 minute.
• Pour off all the liquid from the cucumbers and stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil.
• Smear the cut side of the buns with some of the seasoned mayonnaise. Arrange bottom buns on plates. Layer with lettuce, onion, tomato, double-stack burgers, pickles and top bun. Serve with extra pickles on the side.

ASIAN BURGER

Steps:

• Place the beef in a bowl, add with curry powder, sugar, cilantro, scallions, garlic, chiles, cumin, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Form into 4 (8-ounce) patties. Place patties on grill and grill to desired doneness. Place scallion pieces and shiitake caps on the grill and brush with the teriyaki sauce and grill until well charred.
• Serve burgers on sesame buns topped with grilled scallion and shiitakes and more teriyaki sauce, if desired.

ASIAN SALMON BURGERS WITH WASABI MAYO

Steps:

• For Salmon Burgers:
• Cut the salmon into 2-inch chunks and put into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until the fish is broken down into a chunky puree. It should still have pebble-sized pieces (about ¼-inch) in it. Scrape into a bowl.
• Cut the root end from the green onions, slice in half lengthwise, turn them 90° and slice them very thinly. Put this into the bowl with the salmon, ½ cup of the panko bread crumbs, mayo, and pickled ginger liquid. Mix until uniform.
• Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Divide the salmon mixture into 8 mounds and form those mounds into patties that are ¾-inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 8 hours before cooking.
• Pour the remaining panko bread crumbs onto a plate. Gently lift and place each salmon patty on the bread crumbs, press down lightly to help the panko stick, flip the patties over and repeat.
• Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When it is very hot, add about 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and swirl it to coat.
• Ease the panko crusted patties into the pan. A 12-inch pan should hold 4 patties at a time and still give you room to maneuver the spatula when it comes time to flip them. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the first side is deep golden brown. Carefully flip the patties using a wide spatula. Be cautious because the oil will want to splatter. Fry the second side for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown and firm around the outer edges. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or platter. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and repeat until you have fried all of the salmon burgers.
• For Wasabi Mayo:
• Put the mayo in a small bowl and use a fork or small whisk to stir in the wasabi paste, starting with 1 tablespoon. Taste the mayo and adjust with more wasabi if you want a stronger flavor.
• To Serve the Salmon Burgers:
• If you're watching how much bread you eat, serve the Salmon Burgers on a tender lettuce leaf topped with a dollop of the Wasabi Mayo and any other optional toppings you'd like. If you want to eat it burger-style, put a patty on top of a toasted whole wheat bun, spread some wasabi mayo over the burger and top as desired.