BCJ_SPRING 17 Digital Edition

BACKCOUNTRY BISTRO
LEFTOVER SALMON BURGERS
BY J.R. YOUNG
WHEN I STARTED FISHING REGULARLY with a local charter
for salmon out of Emeryville, California, I noticed the sea lions
awaiting the fleet’s return to the harbor. Once back at the docks,
the deckhands would feverishly work to finish fileting out everyone’s
fish. They often tossed the carcasses into the water for an
easy meal for the sea lions lurking close by. Solid eats for them,
but I’d always opt to take my fish home whole and process them
myself, much to the lions’ disappointment. After cutting up my
fish, I save the heads to bury deep beneath the tomato plants in
my garden (based on the recommendations of a world-renowned
tomato specialist; but really, this is a whole other story). I boil the
carcasses for fish stock, but I quickly noticed just how much meat
still remained from fileting. I figured it could be put to better use.
Looking at a salmon carcass that has been fileted, you’ll notice
there’s quite of bit of meat hanging between the bones around the
spine. This is true for most fish over two or three pounds, and I
would recomend this recipe for pike, bass, trout and pretty much
any fish large enough. Now I can’t remember if it was a technique
I saw in a recipe or if, one day, I just decided to pick up a spoon
and try and get all the additional meat. Running the spoon down
the spine initially and then parallel with the rib bones I was able
to clear most of the flesh. I was amazed at just how much was
there. Four Chinook at roughly 10 to 12 pounds each (whole)
yielded a couple pounds of meat.
With a bowl full of bonus raw salmon, the possibilities are endless.
Fresh king salmon loves a grill, so burgers, in my opinion, are
a fantastic option. Some might call it a cake, for the similarity to
crab cakes. You can really go any way you want with seasoning,
but I like to keep it simple. The trick is to make sure any larger
bits of meat are finely chopped, and that there is something to
bind the meat together.
INGREDIENTS:
1½-2 lbs of finely chopped salmon meat
1 egg
¼ cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbs lemon juice
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp dried thyme
First, scrape your salmon carcasses of all residual meat. In a
bowl, mix the salmon, egg, breadcrumbs, pepper, lemon juice,
pressed garlic and thyme (hold the salt for now). Once all is incorporated,
let it rest for 10 minutes to help binding. Next form the
burger patties. Work as gently as possible, but get the job done. If
they aren’t binding, try adding a little more egg or breadcrumbs.
Once the patties are formed, sprinkle salt on top and start grilling
over your favorite form of fire. I like to grill mine medium,
but there’s nothing wrong with cooking a little more. Well done it
will get dense and chewy, however.
Once the burgers are done, dress them up with an aioli or tartar
sauce. Toss on a tomato, grilled onions and/or some lettuce. It’s a
burger; make it your way. Once you get the basics, tweak the spices,
add a dash of soy sauce or toasted sesame oil. Add some ginger
for an Asian flair, chipotle and cumin for Mexican or Herbes de
Provence for French. Have fun and get more from your fish!
J.R. was born and raised in Washington where salmon was a staple
of his diet. He currently lives in the Bay Area of California with his
wife, son, dog and chickens. He recently joined BHA’s national board
and will be cooking at the Field to Table Dinner at the 2017 BHA
North American Rendezvous.
SPRING 2017 BACKCOUNTRY JOURNAL | 19