Salmon Burgers

While I wouldn't say salmon is my favorite fish, with its high omega-3 content, profile of easily digestible proteins and how easy it is to find at the market or local fish store, it’s hard to pass up! It's also a great fish for combining with other ingredients and in this case making burgers.

Salmon burgers are easy to prepare, throw on the grill and enjoy, while also allowing you to skip the saturated fat, bun and cheese that usually accompany the typical beef variety.

A Few Tips:

• If possible, purchase and use wild caught salmon. While it may be a bit pricier, it's hard to know what the farmed fish you purchase has been fed. Farmed fish has been tied to a higher fat content than wild caught salmon and concerning levels of PCB's (polychlorinated biphenyls), which have been rated by the EPA as "probable human carcinogens."
• If using a grill to cook the burgers make sure you coat the grill surface so that the salmon burger does not stick. You don't want to lose part of your burger when you flip it!
• If you need more "glue" to hold together your burger and don't mind adding a few carbs, then throw in a small handful of breadcrumbs. I'd recommend making your own from sprouted grain bread or Panko breadcrumbs (you won't need to use as many and they absorb less grease than the typical store bought variety).

Ingredients

• 1 pound wild salmon fillet, skinned
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion or red onion
• 2 cups spinach, chopped
• 1/4 cup red or green peppers, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup feta (or goat) cheese
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil
• Optional:  1/4 cup bread crumbs to coat patties

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium hit. Add the chopped spinach leaves and sauté until moderately wilted. This should take less than a minute and you don't want the spinach to completely wilt.
2. With a large chef’s knife, chop the salmon using even, straight-up-and-down motions (do not rock the knife through the fish or it will turn mushy) until you have a mass of roughly 1/4-inch pieces. Transfer to large bowl and gently stir in egg white, onion, spinach, finely chopped peppers, feta cheese and salt and pepper, being careful not to over mix. Divide the mixture into 4 patties, about 1 inch thick. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes (or up to 2 hours) before cooking.
3. Heat the grill to medium hit (or use a skillet if you prefer). Coat the grill racks will a light covering of olive oil and then place the burgers on the grill. Cook on both sides 3 - 4 minutes or completely cooked through (important if you are using wild salmon).
4. Serve burgers on a bed of greens or with a whole grain bun if desired.




Chill burgers in the refrigterator before cooking.

  


Pair with a salad and enjoy!

 

Posted in: Clean Food