Salmon Burgers With Tarragon-Horseradish Mayonnaise

One of the things I realize about myself is that I have an addictive personality. When I find something I love - I simply have to had it ALL.THE.TIME. And this defect definitely comes into play when we start talking about food. Having to have scrambled egg whites with Swiss cheese and mushrooms for breakfast? Guilty...for years. Having to have a Cobb salad at that little cafe for lunch?  Guilty... for years. Having to have a cocktail and peanut M&Ms in the evening while parked in front of TV? Guilty...for years.

And that is the great thing about Savory, Sweet & Spicy. It has enabled me to dismiss these monotonous patterns and continually try new dishes - never repeating, always moving on to the next new one.

But then I messed up. I allowed this recipe to enter my orbit three weeks ago - torn from Bon Apetit and tucked neatly in my recipe file labeled "seafood". I only had canned salmon {what can I say? I had it on hand for times like this when I was in a pinch} but decided to give it a try. The salmon burgers were outstanding but I knew I had to make them again as intended - with fresh salmon. So two weeks ago I prepared this recipe again,  following it word for word - fresh salmon, bun, radicchio and tomato. Phenomenal. Now enter this past Friday. We knew we were headed to a small food & wine event with friends in the evening and unsure of how much food and wine there would really be, I told MR SSS we should eat a protein -packed lunch. And he said he was really in the mood for these salmon burgers again. So there you have it:  salmon burgers with tarragon-horseradish mayonnaise three weeks in a row and I am still craving them.

Now that I have lots of practice making these, I want to share a few things:

First: beware, they are addictive. Second: don't mess with the recipe. Each and every ingredient blends together exquisitely to create a rich, perfectly textured, aromatic burger. Be sure to use fresh salmon and refrigerate as noted - this will create patties that adhere together perfectly - no egg necessary. Third, and this is my humble opinion: these burgers are utter perfection and really do not need to be buried in bread and topped with accompaniments. My third and final preparation, served like a crab cake with a side of mayonnaise, was the best.

Salmon Burgers With Tarragon-Horseradish Mayonnaise

1 lb fresh, skinless salmon fillet, diced

4 small green onions, chopped 

1 T drained capers

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 T fresh chopped tarragon

1 t Dijon mustard

1 t prepared white horseradish

1/2 t salt

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c dried bread crumbs

1 T butter

- and for the tarragon-horseradish mayonnaise

1 c mayonnaise {I prefer reduced-fat Vegenaise}

1/4 c low-fat Greek yogurt

4 small green onions, chopped

1 T drained capers

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 T fresh chopped tarragon

2 t Dijon mustard

2 t prepared white horseradish

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

To prepare the tarragon-horseradish mayonnaise, mix all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To prepare the salmon burgers, mix the first 9 ingredients plus 3 T tarragon-horseradish mayonnaise in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 6 hours. Mix bread crumbs in well using your hands and form 4 patties. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high-heat. Add the salmon patties to the skillet.  Cook for 3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes or until cooked through with a crispy brown exterior crust.

Serve with a side of tarragon-horseradish mayonnaise.

Serves 4.

{Leftover tarragon-horseradish mayonnaise mixed with diced celery and tuna makes a good tuna salad. If you do not want any leftover mayonnaise, you can cut the above recipe in half}.

Source: Bon Apetit