Salmon Burger with Spicy Ginger Sauce

This may well become your favorite way to cook salmon. You’ll never have to suffer through another dry, bland salmon steak again with these moist and flavorful burgers. They can be assembled in the morning—just wrap each one individually in plastic and refrigerate.

MAKES 4 BURGERS

• SPICY GINGER SAUCE
• ¹/₄ cup chicken stock
• ¹/₄ cup Chinese plum sauce
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
• ¹/₂ teaspoon spicy Asian chili sauce or other hot sauce

• BURGERS
• 1¹/₂ pounds salmon fillets, skinned, boned, and cut into 3-inch cubes
• ¹/₂ cup finely chopped onion
• ¹/₄ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 scallions, green parts only, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (see note)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 brioche rolls or hamburger buns

To make the Spicy Ginger Sauce: In a small bowl, mix together all of the sauce ingredients and set aside.

To make the burgers: Combine all of the burger ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until the salmon is the consistency of ground beef, about 6 pulses. Do not overprocess.

Gently shape the mixture into 4 burgers about ³/₄ inch thick and 4 inches across. Set these on a plate so they are not touching, cover well with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Place a skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat and let it get hot, about 2 minutes. Add the vegetable oil and spread it evenly over the pan. Arrange the burgers so they aren’t touching and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Turn and cook 4 to 5 minutes more, until just cooked through.

Transfer the burgers to a platter and scrape any bits of burger from the pan. Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the Spicy Ginger Sauce, and cook for two minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.

Serve the burgers on the brioche rolls, topped with the Spicy Ginger Sauce.

For charcoal-grilled burgers, make a medium-hot fire (see page 12). Cook the burgers for 5 minutes. Turn and cook 4 to 5 minutes more.

For gas-grilled burgers, preheat on high until the grill is very hot, about 400°F. Cook the burgers for 5 minutes with the lid closed. Turn and cook 4 to 5 minutes more, again with the lid closed.

Note: Fish sauce is one of the staples of Thai cuisine and imparts its distinctive flavor to many dishes. It should be available in specialty-food shops and in the Asian section of many supermarkets. Keep it in the refrigerator after opening.

Note: In a small saucepan, cook the Spicy Ginger Sauce for two minutes over medium-high heat before serving with the charcoal- or gas-grilled burgers.