Salmon Burgers with Chipotle Aioli and Pineapple-Avocado Salsa - Salmon Fishing - Outdoor Wednesday

Oregon and salmon were made for each other. Each year hundreds of thousands of large Fall King (Chinook) Salmon migrate from the ocean to Oregon's rivers and the state becomes a fisherman's paradise. Most of the wild salmon that is purchased in Oregon actually comes from Alaska, but fortunate, indeed, is the family whose tree boasts a fisherman. The Fall Chinook can weigh upwards of 40 pounds and while there is a limit as to how many can be caught, the freezers of fisherman's wives are packed with gorgeous pink steaks and fillets. While those gals are ingenious when it comes to developing ways to cook the mighty king, I've chosen to share a recipe from a California chef that has a decided Southwestern flair. The burgers were developed by Jeffery Starr, who is the culinary director at Sutter Home Vineyards. Not a lot can go wrong with these. My only caution is not to over process the salmon. You want a mince not a paste. It helps to freeze the salmon cubes for an hour before you process them. The patties are topped with a lovely salsa. It's clean and fresh and simple to assemble. Add the avocado at the last minute to prevent browning. I hope you'll try these. They are really special.



Salmon Burgers With Chipotle Aioli and Pineapple-Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

Aioli

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 teaspoons chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1-1/2 teaspoons Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

Salsa

1/2 cup diced California avocado

1/4 cup diced pineapple

2 tablespoons diced roasted red bell pepper

1 tablespoon chopped red onion

1-1/2 teaspoons chopped cilantro

1-1/2 teaspoons minced serrano pepper

1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Burgers

1 egg

1/4 cup Chipotle Aioli (reserved from recipe above)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce

1-1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet, finely chopped*

1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs, available in Asian markets) or fine, unseasoned dry bread crumbs

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

Vegetable oil

4 hamburger buns, split

4 leaves green leaf lettuce

8 California avocado slices (optional)

Directions:

1) To make aioli, whisk together all ingredients in large bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup for burger mixture; refrigerate remainder. To make salsa, combine all ingredients in large bowl. Refrigerate, covered.

2) To make burgers, in large bowl combine egg, reserved aioli, lime juice and Chipotle Pepper Sauce. Stir in salmon, bread crumbs, green onions, cilantro and salt. Form burger mixture into 4 patties. Chill patties at least 1 hour.

3) Brush a medium-hot grill lightly with oil. Grill salmon patties about 4 minutes or until browned on one side. Turn patties over and cook 4 minutes more or until just done. Grill buns on outer edge of grill. Spread cut sides of bottom halves with 1 tablespoon Chipotle Aioli, top each with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 burger, 1/4 cup Pineapple-Avocado Salsa, 2 avocado slices, if using, and top half of bun, cut side down. Yield: 4 servings

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