Lean & Green Dill Salmon Burgers
With Creamy Cocktail Sauce
Experimenting is part of the joy of cooking. Altering recipes for old favourites can open your eyes to new and delicious alternatives. For those who want a new take on burgers, consider the following recipe for “Lean & Green Dill Salmon Burgers With Creamy Cocktail Sauce” from Michelle Dudash’s “Clean Eating for Busy Families” (Fair Winds Press).
Lean & Green Dill Salmon Burgers With Creamy Cocktail Sauce
Makes 4 servings
For the burgers:
1 ¼ pounds wild Alaskan salmon, skinned, boned, cut into 6 large chunks
¼ cup stemmed fresh dill (or 4 teaspoons dried dill)
1 scallion, cut into 4 pieces
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar or rice vinegar)
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 small garlic clove
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Expeller-pressed canola oil spray
4 whole-grain hamburger buns
1 avocado, thinly sliced
8 slices tomato
1 cup leafy salad greens
Lemon wedges
For the sauce:
3 tablespoons olive oil mayonnaise
4 ½ teaspoons cocktail sauce
To make the burgers:
Preheat grill on medium heat to 375 F. Add 3 pieces of salmon, along with dill, scallion, mustard, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper, to a food processor and run until mixture becomes pasty. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add remaining salmon. Pulse a few times until chunks become bite-size pieces.
Gently form salmon into 4 patties, not overworking, to make a tender burger. Lightly coat the cut sides of buns with spray. Oil the grill and place burgers on grate; cook for 4 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the flip side. Place cut side of buns on the grill to toast, right after flipping the burgers. Remove patties and buns from grill.
Recipe notes:
• If fresh dill isn’t available (dill season peaks in summer and early fall), substitute flat-leaf parsley.
• You can make your own cocktail sauce with 1 tablespoon of natural ketchup, 1 teaspoon of horseradish, and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice.
• If you don’t feel like grilling, sauté the patties in 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
