sexy salmon burger
sexy salmon burger
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HOMEMADE MAYO
Immersion blenders are wonderful tools, and it’s in small batch mayo where they show their magical powers over the traditional food processor. Have you ever tried to make mayo in a food processor? It’s hard and often doesn’t give that thick thick emulsification unless everything goes right. Well, the secret to this method is simple, use a vessel that is narrow. The bottom of the immersion blender should be touching or almost touching the walls of said vessel. That’s the secret, if you use a wide vessel, it will not work.
Another note, don’t use olive oil, there’s a reaction that happens when olive oil is emulsified that makes it very very bitter, and unless your evoo is washed (which is a whole other topic/step) it’s best to just use a neutral oil like safflower, grape seed or a clean vegetable oil.
INGREDIENTS:
1 fresh egg
1c neutral oil, like safflower, grape seed.
1 garlic clove, sliced
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2tbsp dijon mustard
salt to taste
STEPS
In the narrow vessel, crack the egg first, then add the oil, mustard, lemon juice, garlic and salt.
Insert the immersion blender all the way to the bottom, like in photo 1 and blend on full speed, holding it at the bottom, for at least 15 seconds.
After 15 seconds, you can angle the hand blender back a little to suck down some more oil into the vortex, if needed.
After about 10 seconds longer, lift the blender up and down for another few seconds. It should take no more than 45 seconds to produce a thick emulsified mayo.
use immediately or store in the fridge for 4 days.
serves 4
It’s easy to get caught up in equating a lot of components with a better recipe, but for me simplicity often wins. Here’s a recipe that looks like a mayo salmon sandwich, and at its core that’s what it is. However, my fool-proof tip for 45 second homemade mayo (recipe at the bottom) makes easy work of an often mystifying condiment.
(brine the salmon, then make the mayo, in that order) and a fun “quick brine” for the salmon takes everything up several notches. The salmon takes a bath in sugar and salt, for 20 minutes, in that time, you’ll make the mayo, prep the buns, preheat the broiler. Finally, I’ve included volumetric measures for the salmon brine, but as always, different salts and sugars have seriously different densities, so I recommend a digital gram scale.
I use diamond crystal salt, which is the least dense kosher salt, I find Morton’s to be about 50% more dense, so if using volumetric, adjust accordingly (and use 50% less).
INGREDIENTS
1 pound salmon filets
4 brioche buns
kosher salt 45g (if table salt use 2 tbsp)
sugar 25g / 2 tbsp
mayo, 1/4c+ (see next recipe to make your own)
some greens, herbs (tarragon, cilantro), micros or lettuce half or quarter sheet tray
STEPS
Combine 300ml/1.5Cups water with the salt, and sugar. Mix well to combine.
Submerge the salmon, skin side down in the brine and set a timer for 20 minutes. Time matters here because this is a 15% salt solution, if you leave it much longer the fish will be inedibly salty.
If you’re not ready to cook at 20 minutes, simply remove the fish from the brine and set aside, that will stop the absorption of salt/sugar.
Set your broiler to high with a rack second from top.
Line the sheet tray with foil, dry the fish and place it skin side up on the foil.
Broil for precisely 90 seconds - keeping an eye for flareups. Remove from oven, with a fish spatula, gently flip the fish and return it to the oven. Broil for precisely two and a half minutes further.
Remove and take a temp in the thickest part, should read about 115º, if a few degrees lower, you can wrap the fish in the foil and carry over cooking will get you there. 125º is the high end of what we’re looking for.
Toast buns, spread mayo generously on the top and bottom. Flake the salmon away from the skin in large chunks and place on the bottom bun. Add lettuce and enjoy.
