Fish Burger A valid alternative to the usual beef hamburger.
I must admit I’m not a big meat lover and that’s probably because I grew up eating fish; by contrast my son would eat only meat and there’s no way at all to get him to even taste fish.
My mission therefore was to find a way to make him eat it. He, like all teenagers, adores junk food and if it were up to him he would live on burgers and fries, so why not try to tempt him by preparing a nice “fish burger”?
The idea came to me after tasting one at a street food stall in Versilia: it was so tasty, crunchy on the outside and soft and juicy inside, and the tartar sauce made it truly unique.
So, as I always do when I taste something I like at a restaurant, I bothered the chef until he explained to me how to make it.
The version we’ll prepare today is very simple and is based on fresh cod, already filleted and deboned by the fishmonger; nothing prevents you from using frozen cod as well — I use it often and the result is still excellent.
It’s a perfect option for those who love fish and want to avoid meat, or a tasty and appealing way to get reluctant eaters to love fish. Rest assured this dish will be a big hit even with the little ones; my son, since he tried it, even prefers it to the classic hamburger!
At the end of the recipe you’ll find variations for salmon-burger, swordfish-burger and shrimp-burger, and the same goes for the sauces and vegetables you can add to make the sandwich even more delicious.
Fish Burger
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 PEOPLE
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1.1 lb cod fillets
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 oz Parmigiano Reggiano PDO (grated)
- 1 bunch parsley (chopped)
- 1 lemon (zest, grated)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 4 hamburger buns
- to taste tartar sauce
- A few leaves lettuce
Preparation
To begin preparing the fish burger, start with the cod.
As I mentioned above, for this preparation you will need the fish fillets which should be carefully deboned.
Ask your fishmonger to prepare them for you — just tell them in advance and you won’t have any problems. Otherwise, you can often find ready fillets in the refrigerated section of supermarket fish counters.
As a last resort, if you find an uncooperative fishmonger and really don’t know where to start cleaning the fish, buy frozen cod fillets to get you out of trouble.
They shouldn’t be underestimated since they are frozen straight on the boats they are caught with; I use them very often and the result is still excellent.
Once you have the fish, wash the cod fillets and pat the excess water dry with paper towels.
If you use frozen product, simply thaw it and proceed in the same way, with the only caution that frozen fish will contain more liquid than fresh and therefore must be squeezed well.
Once cleaned and freed of excess water, place the fillets in a food processor and chop them. They shouldn’t become a mush but rather very small pieces.
Separately, prepare a coating on a plate made of breadcrumbs and Parmesan to which you will add chopped parsley and garlic, and mix well with a spoon.
Transfer the chopped fillets into a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of the coating, the lemon zest, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper, and mix everything together — I usually do this with my hands because I think the ingredients combine better.
Work the mixture until you obtain a compact consistency.
Add more or less breadcrumbs depending on how soft your mixture is.
It should be fairly compact, so add more breadcrumbs until you reach that result.
The basic mixture to create your fish burger is now ready.
To form the burgers you can either use a pastry ring or shape them by hand.
The important thing is to try to make all the burgers the same size and about 3/4 inch high.
Once ready, dip them in the breadcrumb-Parmesan-parsley mixture prepared earlier.
I prefer to proceed directly with the coating without dipping them first in egg.
To ensure the coating sticks well — since the mixture is quite moist — just press lightly with your fingertips, repeating the step twice if needed.
After this, cook them in a non-stick pan where you have put two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, turning them halfway through cooking until perfectly golden; it will take about 2 minutes per side.
At this point everything is ready to assemble your Fish burger.
I prefer not to use classic hamburger bread because I don’t like its slightly sweet aftertaste, so I prepare mini flatbreads (you can find the recipe here Foolproof HOMEMADE FOCACCIA recipe — easy and quick).
For the choice of bread use whatever best suits your taste.
Cut the buns in half and toast them on a hot griddle, place some lettuce leaves on the bottom, add the burgers and finish with tartar sauce.
Serve accompanied by French fries or, if you want to keep it light, some grilled vegetables.
TIPS
If you don’t like the taste of tartar sauce, you can serve the fish burger with the more traditional ketchup and mayonnaise or with Marie Rose sauce (for the recipe click here Marie Rose or cocktail sauce) or with tzatziki (for the recipe click here Tzatziki Greek sauce).
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VARIATIONS
SALMON BURGER
Another delicious variation is the salmon one. Due to the delicate nature of the flesh, we won’t make the classic patty but will roast the whole fillet in the oven. Start by taking a fresh salmon fillet and let it marinate for about 30 minutes in a dressing made of the juice of 1/2 lemon, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Then place it in a baking dish lined with parchment paper with the skin side down. Close the parcel so all the aromas stay inside, and bake at 356°F for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, open the parcel and let it cool slightly. At this point heat your chosen bread cut in half on a griddle, spread a little tzatziki (if you want the recipe click here Tzatziki Greek sauce) or plain mayonnaise, add a lettuce leaf and enjoy!
SHRIMP BURGER
The version with prawns or shrimp is also excellent. In this case, blanch the shrimp in their shells in a pot for about 2 minutes.
Then peel them, removing both the shell and the head (be careful to also remove the vein — that black thread along the back). At this point take a non-stick pan and heat it with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil; when the oil is hot add 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley and garlic, sauté for one minute and then cook the shrimp in the pan for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside for a moment.
