Have you been burgered to death? We have. Seems every place we go, every picnic and patio gathering, every driveway cookout and corn roast, we eat burgers.
I called it quits last week. No more burgering, no matter what. Then I was in the grocery store drooling over the fresh hamburger rolls. I had to buy some, but no ground beef.
So what to do with hamburger buns in a world without hamburgers? I got it: More burgers -- crab burgers and tuna burgers.
These are easy and welcome relief. With canned tuna, the classic poverty food of college students, they are very cheap.
Crab burgers are very similar to crab cakes. You could use your cake recipe for them. They take on new meaning over lettuce with mayonnaise and a slice of homegrown tomato.
The trick here is to mix the burgers with minimum effort. The more you mix, the more compact the burger. They are best light and airy, so mix just enough to combine the ingredients.
I like ours topped with mango salsa (the fruit, not the pepper). The little bit of heat seems to release the seafood flavor that has been canned up for months.
Mango salsa is a classic sweet, sour and as peppery as you wish. It’s beautiful on the plate, perfectly yellow with bits of green peppers. If you must have cheese, melt on some gorgonzola or Swiss to complete the package.
Oh, don’t forget to butter and toast the buns, and leave the hamburger relish in the fridge for another day.
MANGO SALSA
1 mango fruit, peeled, seeded, diced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
Dash of balsamic vinegar
1 green onion with top, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Mix the above in a nonmetallic bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours to meld flavors. Serves 2.
TUNA BURGERS
1 6-ounce can solid white tuna, drained
1/4 cup bread crumbs, panko are best
1 egg
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon red sweet pepper or pimento, diced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon horseradish mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Mix ingredients with wooden spoon just enough to combine. Form into two balls, then squash with spatula into patties. Heat oil in skillet and cook patties on medium until lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side. Serves 2.
CRAB BURGERS
1/2 pound crabmeat, canned or fresh
1 cup freshly made bread crumbs
1 green onion, chopped with top
1/4 green pepper, diced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon horseradish (optional)
Dash of hot pepper sauce
Dash of sea salt
1 lemon, quartered and seeded
Flake crabmeat with a fork, checking for shell bits. Mix ingredients until just combined. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Form into two balls then squash into a patty with a spatula.
Cook 5 minutes to a side or until lightly browned. Serve wih lemon wedges. Serves 2.
Send food questions to jim.hillibish@cantonrep.com
author: Jim Hillibish