Mackerel Burger
We often don’t associate canned food with being nourishing and healthy, but there is a way it can be part of a nutritious and balanced diet.
I’m using canned mackerel here in my spin on a fish burger. I like it because it’s convenient and it’s one of the few foods that’s rich in omega 3 fats!
Unlike a beef burger where the flavour mostly comes from the combination of all its elements, the patty is the star of the show here. It’s packed with lots of flavours! To offset the fishiness of the mackerel, I’m also using fresh dill from my Grobrix to balance it out.
I also tried a version where I breaded and air-fried the fish patty. Let’s just say I’m sticking to that version from now on. It saves up on washing too!
THE RECIPE
SERVES 2
Ingredients
Patty
1 tbsp oil
1 onion
50g fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped; or 70g frozen chopped spinach
1 can (80g) mackerel fillets, flaked
1 egg
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tbsp dill, chopped
Zest of ½ medium lemon
Pepper
Burger
2 burger buns
4 slices tomato
2 slices cheese
1 tsp Dijon mustard
4 pieces lettuce
Homemade Tartar sauce
1 ½ tbsp Greek yoghurt
2 tsp kewpie mayo
4 slices jalapeño or 1 small pickle, chopped finely (optional)
½ tbsp capers, chopped
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
¼ garlic clove, grated
½ tsp tabasco sauce (optional)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
For a breaded version (per patty)
¼ egg, beaten
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
Small pinch of salt and pepper
Directions
Burger
In a medium pan, sautée all the chopped onions in 1 tbsp oil, and season with pepper.
Once fragrant and soft, remove half of it and set it aside to assemble the burger. Add the spinach into the pan with the remaining onions, and mix well. Once the spinach has wilted, set the mixture aside to cool.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the rest of the patty ingredients along with the cooled onion and spinach mixture.
Heat up the same pan you cooked the onion in, and add ½ tbsp oil as you shape your patties. With the amount of mixture, you should be able to form two patties. There may be some liquid coming from the mixture, but don’t squeeze that out as that’s from the egg needed for binding the patty.
Place them in the heated pan and leave to cook for about 4-5 minutes. Then, flip the patty and leave to cook till it reaches a nice golden-brown. At this point, place a slice of cheese on the patty and let it melt from the residual heat.
To assemble the burger, first toast both sides of the bun lightly and spread some Dijon mustard and tartar sauce on the bottom bun. Then, lay the lettuce, tomatoes, the cooked patty, and half of the remaining softened onions. Spread the tartar sauce on the top bun and lay it right on top.
Serve with some extra tartar sauce on the side, and enjoy!
Homemade Tartar Sauce
Combine the yoghurt, mayo, jalapeño/pickles, capers, dill, garlic, lemon juice, and tabasco in a small bowl and stir until well blended and creamy.
Season to taste with some salt and pepper.
To store, keep it in an air tight container and refrigerated for about a week.
Breaded version:
Once you’ve formed the patty, coat it in some flour, then some egg, and the breadcrumbs.
Cook it in the air fryer at 200C for 15mins, or shallow fry it in the pan with some oil.
Notes
These patties can be made ahead of time and stored in your freezer for that rainy-day meal!
Nutrition
Per serving
Calories: 569kcal
Carbohydrates: 46g
Protein: 26g
Fat: 30g
Sugar: 9.4g
Sodium: 1149mg
Fibre: 4.8g