Moist, chunky shrimp burger without the mush
Make your stuffed tomatoes next level with this recipe
ABy America’s Test Kitchen
good shrimp burger should be first and foremost about the shrimp. Unfortunately, many shrimp burgers are more reminiscent of fish-flavored rubber patties or over-seasoned bread balls than shrimp.
We set out to develop a recipe for our ideal shrimp burger: moist, chunky yet still cohesive, and with seasoning that complements the sweet shrimp flavor but doesn’t overpower it.
After early testing we decided we needed a combination of finely chopped shrimp to help bind the burgers, as well as some larger, bite-size chunks. We achieved this texture with help from the food processor.
We wanted to use as little binder as possible, to avoid the soggy, mushy results we’d seen in other shrimp burgers that frequently used a combination of mayonnaise, egg, and bread crumbs. We kept the mayonnaise for the much-needed moisture and fat it added but left out the egg and decreased the bread crumbs.
Some minced scallion and parsley, lemon zest, and a touch of cayenne pepper rounded out the flavor of our burgers.
Grilled southern shrimp burgers
Servings: 4 Start to finish: 1 hour, 15 minutes Chef’s Note: Be sure to use raw, not cooked, shrimp here. Dry the shrimp thoroughly before processing, or the burgers will be mushy. Handle the burgers gently when shaping and grilling; if overhandled while being shaped, the burgers will be dense and rubbery, and if handled roughly during cooking, they will break apart.
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into large pieces 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 scallions, minced 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper Pinch cayenne pepper 1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled, deveined, and patted dry vegetable oil
Pulse bread in food processor to coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to small bowl. Do not clean food processor. Combine mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl until uniform.
Pulse shrimp in now-empty food processor until some pieces are finely minced and others are coarsely chopped, about 7 pulses. Add shrimp to mayonnaise mixture and gently fold until just combined. Sprinkle bread crumbs over mixture and gently fold until incorporated.
Scrape shrimp mixture onto small baking sheet, divide into 4 equal portions, and loosely pack each into 1-inch-thick patty. Cover and refrigerate patties for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.
For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter threequarters filled with charcoal briquettes (4 1/2 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-high.
Clean and oil cooking grate. Lightly brush tops of burgers with oil, lay them on grill, oiled side down, and lightly brush other side with oil. Cook burgers, without pressing on them, until lightly browned and cooked through, 10 to 14 minutes, flipping them halfway through grilling. Transfer burgers to platter, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Named for the hotel where it was invented in Sweden, Hasselbacking is a technique where a vegetable (traditionally potatoes) is partially sliced, accordion style, brushed with butter, sprinkled with bread crumbs, and baked.
This approach is also great for tomatoes; think of them as leveled-up stuffed tomatoes featuring tons of crispy edges and great browning. We started with meaty, wellshaped plum tomatoes.
We cored them, then cut into them and spread a potent, flavorful homemade basil pesto mixed with some crunchy panko bread crumbs over the interiors.
We then topped the tomatoes with shredded Gruyère cheese for added punch and placed the stuffed tomatoes under the broiler for just 5 minutes to melt the cheese and slightly soften the tomatoes without turning them to mush.
For the best results, we recommend buying ripe tomatoes of similar weight and size.
We developed this recipe with tomatoes that averaged 3 ounces in weight and 2 1/2 inches in length.
Hasselback tomatoes
Servings: 4-6 Start to finish: 45 minutes 8 ripe plum tomatoes, cored 7 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (1 3/4 cups) 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs 1 garlic clove, minced Salt and pepper
Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set wire rack in sheet. Using serrated knife, cut 1/4 inch-thick slice from 1 long side of each tomato to create a flat base. Turn tomatoes onto cut sides so they sit flat, then slice crosswise at 1/4 inch intervals, leaving bottom 1/4 inch of each tomato intact.
Process 3/4 cup Gruyère, basil, oil, panko, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed, about 10 seconds.
Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Combine 3/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in bowl. Carefully open tomato slices and sprinkle with salt-pepper mixture. Using small spoon, spread basil mixture evenly between tomato slices (about 2 tablespoons per tomato).
Arrange tomatoes on prepared wire rack. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup Gruyère over tomatoes. Broil until cheese is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Serve.
It’s no wonder salmon is one of the most popular fish. Its flesh is rich-tasting, thanks to high levels of heart-healthy oils, and it takes well to many treatments. The key is to avoid overcooking it, especially wild salmon, which is leaner than farmed.
Our hybrid roasting method solved this by heating the oven to 500 F before dropping the temperature to 275 F. The initial blast of heat firmed the exterior and rendered some fat while the fish gently cooked.
Salmon is often roasted in butter, but we wanted a healthier approach that would contrast with the fish’s richness. So we made a bright tangerine relish perked up with spicy ginger.
Skin-on salmon fillets hold together better during cooking. If you can’t find tangerines, you can use oranges. If your salmon is less than 1 inch thick, start checking for doneness early. If using farmed salmon, cook until thickest part of fillet registers 125 F.
Oven-roasted salmon with tangerine and ginger relish (bold) Servings: 4 Start to finish: 35 minutes
Salmon: 4 (4- to 6-ounce) skin-on wild-caught salmon fillets, 1 inch thick
1 teaspoon cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper Relish: 4 tangerines, rind and pith removed and segments cut into 1/2 inch pieces (1 cup) 1 scallion, sliced thin 2 teaspoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger Salt and pepper
For the relish: Place tangerines in finemesh strainer set over medium bowl and drain for 15 minutes.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon tangerine juice from bowl. Whisk in scallion, lemon juice, oil, and ginger. Stir in tangerines and season with salt and pepper to taste.
For the salmon: Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 F. Pat salmon dry with paper towels, rub with oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Once oven reaches 500 F, reduce oven temperature to 275 F. Remove sheet from oven and carefully place salmon, skin-side down, on hot sheet. Roast until center is still translucent when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 120 F (for medium-rare), 4 to 6 minutes.
Slide fish spatula along underside of fillets and transfer to individual plates or serving platter, leaving skin behind; discard skin. Top with relish and serve. (AP)