Burgette's Salmon Belly Smashburgers
The salmon belly burger from chef Sean MacDonald of Bar Monette and Burgette in Santa Monica swaps beef for fish and pickled cucumbers for turnips in this light, bright take on the smash burger.
To ensure that he achieves maximum smash-ness for these burgers, MacDonald finely minces the fish. The bun is crucial too, he notes. While the restaurant uses house-made brioche, he also recommends soft-fluffy potato buns, which provide “a good ratio of bun to meat.”
For cooking the burgers, find the widest skillet you have so you can smash to the max. You’ll need a wide flat spatula, preferably as wide as your patty. Patty papers also help here (they’re used to help press the burgers); they’re sold at cooking supply stores, but you can also cut 5- by 5-inch squares from parchment paper.
Find salmon belly and loin at fish markets, select grocery stores and Asian markets.
Watch the video below — part of our L.A. Times Food “Chef That!” series — to see how MacDonald makes his salmon belly smashburger.
Burgette's Salmon Belly Smashburger
Prepare the salmon: Using a large knife, chop the salmon so that it is very finely diced, running your knife through it several times. The smaller pieces will bind better and not break apart when you smash the burger in the pan. (If you have a meat grinder, you can use it on a medium size grind.) Transfer the minced salmon to a bowl. Use a small strainer to sprinkle the cornstarch over the salmon and mix to incorporate. Gently press the salmon against the sides of the bowl (so that there is more surface area exposed to the air to cool) and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, pickle the shallots: In a medium bowl, mix the shallots with the lemon juice and salt. Add the garlic (you can grate the garlic directly into the mixture). Set aside.
Divide the chopped salmon into eight pieces (2 ounces each). Wearing gloves, gently toss a piece of salmon back and forth in your hands several times to form a ball, slapping it against your palms. Refrigerate the balls until ready to use.
Make the sauce for the burgers: Add the cornichons, capers, mustard and mayonnaise to the bowl of pickled shallots and mix to incorporate. Stir in the chives, dill and parsley and mix well. Set aside in the fridge.
Toast the buns: Heat a large skillet to high heat. Lightly brush the cut side of the buns with melted butter. Sear the buttered side of the buns in the pan until just golden brown, 30 seconds, and set aside.
Cook the salmon burgers: Add just enough oil to a large skillet (you want it as wide as possible so you have room to flatten the patties) to lightly coat the bottom. Heat the pan over medium heat. Work in batches of two and place the salmon patties in the hot pan, cover with patty paper and use a burger press to flatten the salmon patty (you’ll want to put your weight into it) smashing to a sheet. Immediately remove the patty paper and season the patty with a pinch of salt. Cook until the bottom is golden brown with crispy edges; this is going to take less than 1 minute.
Use a flat wide metal spatula (the spatula should be wider than the patty) to scrape the salmon patty off the bottom of the pan. Flip and season each patty with a pinch of salt. Cook the bottom side until golden brown, less than a minute. Scrape from the pan with your spatula and set aside. Repeat this cooking process with the remaining patties.
Add about 1 tablespoon of sauce to each side of the buttered buns. Place two salmon patties on top of each of the bottom buns. Add a layer of pickles and then the top buns and serve immediately.
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