Salmon burgers hit the spot

It is grilling season, and like many, my family enjoys a good burger. We have favorites made of ground beef, chicken and turkey, but recently I tried something completely different. A salmon burger. I can't take credit for inventing this burger myself and would be remiss if I didn't give credit to “The Alaska From Scratch Cookbook,” by Maya Wilson.

My friend, Stephanie, a suburban Chicagoan who now calls Alaska home, surprised me with this beautiful book on my last birthday.

As you might guess from the title, it is full of recipes for Alaskan favorites like seafood and some wild game, along with a chapter titled “Surviving Alaska Soups,” but it also includes recipes for a wide variety of others like Strawberry Shortbread Scones, Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas, and Pretzel Brownies. There is something for everyone, even a chapter devoted to beverages like Rhubarb Iced Tea with Rosemary and Cardamom and for those chilly Alaskan days, a Chai Hot Toddy.

“The Alaska From Scratch Cookbook,” is beautiful and includes photos of snow-capped mountains, streams and wildlife in the pristine area my friend now calls home, Cooper Landing, Alaska. However, it is more than just recipes and pictures, as Wilson also fills the pages with stories from her own life, including an introduction to each recipe complete with ingredient tips. After reading the book, I feel like I know Maya.

I've never been to Alaska and do enjoy salmon, so when I saw the salmon burger recipe, I was immediately interested. Fresh salmon combined with the flavors of lime, ginger and garlic, all topped with a red-cabbage sesame slaw on a bun smeared with wasabi mayo. Top it all off with sliced avocado, and you have a masterpiece.

The recipe calls for diced salmon, so I bought a piece of fresh salmon and started chopping it into ¼- to ½-inch cubes. It took a while, but before long I had a bowl of little pink cubes awaiting the addition of fresh lime juice, grated ginger, green onion, garlic and a little soy sauce. Held together by the addition of panko bread crumbs and egg whites, the concoction was complete after a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

I will admit the thought of digging my hands into the bowl to form the mixture into patties wasn't overly appealing, so instead, I used a spoon to press it into a measuring cup and then turned my newly created burger out onto a hot pan coated with a little vegetable oil. I was careful not to disturb the burger, which held its shape well, until after it was nicely browned and noticeably cooked around the edges. At the right time, I carefully flipped the burger, gently pushing down with a spatula to decrease its height, ultimately making it easier to eat.

The recipe suggests cooking the salmon to medium, but I chose to cook mine thoroughly instead and found them to be still very moist, as salmon tends to be a bit more forgiving than other fish given its fat content. You can decide for yourself how you like your salmon done. The recipe suggests topping the salmon burger with sesame slaw and wasabi mayo, which were both easy to make and tasty in their own right. Purple cabbage and cilantro drizzled with a dressing made of rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, Sriracha and a little sugar. Don't let the Siracha intimidate you; it isn't overly spicy. Delicious enough to make as a side dish, but great atop the salmon burger, and made complete by a mixture of mayonnaise, wasabi and soy sauce.

Stephanie was in town recently to attend her baby shower, and I surprised her by making these burgers, but as sliders instead of full sized. The sweetness of the slaw and zip of the wasabi mayo was perfect with the moist, flavorful fish.

I now have a new favorite burger and cookbook.

In the book, Maya Wilson says she cooks to nourish those she loves and has an insatiable need rooted somewhere deep within her for people to be well fed and taken care of. As someone who loves to cook for others, I can wholeheartedly say, I agree! If you'd like to check out some of Maya's recipes or order her cookbook, go to www.alaskafromscratch.com.