Claire's Salmon Burgers

Claire made dinner last night, and it was fabulous! She found a Mark Bittman salmon burger recipe on the NYT website, and made a few small variations. Here is her version. You could easily change to include another type of fish or a mixture of fish (use a bit of olive oil if using a drier white fish) or add in other seasonings. Two thumbs up!

Salmon Burgers

1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless salmon, cut into large chunks
1 tbsp dijon
2 shallots, chopped
1/2 c panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tbsp capers, drained
salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil or butter

Put about a quarter of the salmon into the container of a food processor. Add mustard and run until the mixture becomes paste like. Stop and scrape down sides as necessary.
Add the shallots and the remaining salmon, and pulse until the fish is chopped and well combined with the puree. No piece should be larger than a 1/4 inch or so, but be careful not to make the mixture too fine.
Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in bread crumbs, capers and some salt and pepper. Shape into four burger patties. (This can be done a few hours ahead of time. Refrigerate burgers.)
Place butter or oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet, and turn the heat to medium-high. When the butter foam subsides or the oil is hot, cook the burgers for 2 to 3 minutes a side, turning once.*
Serve on a bed of greens, or on brioche buns with whatever condiments and fixings you'd like. We had them with homemade tartar sauce, red onions, tomatoes, and lettuce.

*The original recipe says you can also grill them, about 4 mins on the first side and 1-2 mins on the second. We haven't tried that but be careful not to overcook.