A cooking platform built around craft, culture, and the stories behind what we eat.
Created by
Hand-formed salmon patties seasoned with fresh dill and lemon zest, grilled until golden and served on a toasted brioche bun with tangy caper-dill sauce and peppery greens. This is the burger the Pacific Northwest deserves.
Igrew up watching salmon run the rivers of Oregon. Every fall, the fish would return in numbers that seemed impossible, their silver bodies flashing beneath the surface. We ate salmon fresh, smoked, and canned. We never tired of it. The salmon burger was born from that abundance, a way to make something extraordinary from the trimmings and less glamorous cuts that deserved better than the compost pile.
The secret to a proper salmon burger lies in texture. You want some bite, not baby food. Pulse your salmon in a food processor until you have a mix of fine and coarse pieces, or better yet, chop it by hand. The patty should hold together without becoming dense. Too much binder and you've made a fish cake. Too little and the thing falls apart on the grill.
What makes this Pacific Northwest is the supporting cast: fresh dill that grows wild along the coast, capers brined in the same saltwater tang you taste in the air, lemon to brighten everything, peppery greens to cut through the richness. The dill-caper sauce does the heavy lifting, turning a simple grilled patty into something memorable. Make extra. You'll want it on everything.
Quantity
1 1/4 pounds
pin bones removed
Quantity
1/4 cup
Quantity
1
lightly beaten
Quantity
2 tablespoons
finely chopped
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
finely grated
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground
Quantity
2 tablespoons
Quantity
4
split
Quantity
2 tablespoons
softened
Quantity
2 cups
Quantity
1/2 small
thinly sliced
Quantity
1
cut into wedges
Quantity
3/4 cup
Quantity
2 tablespoons
drained and roughly chopped
Quantity
2 tablespoons
finely chopped
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1 small clove
minced
Quantity
pinch
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| skinless salmon filletpin bones removed | 1 1/4 pounds |
| panko breadcrumbs | 1/4 cup |
| large egglightly beaten | 1 |
| fresh dill (for patties)finely chopped | 2 tablespoons |
| Dijon mustard (for patties) | 1 tablespoon |
| lemon zestfinely grated | 1 teaspoon |
| kosher salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| black pepperfreshly ground | 1/4 teaspoon |
| vegetable oil | 2 tablespoons |
| brioche hamburger bunssplit | 4 |
| unsalted buttersoftened | 2 tablespoons |
| arugula or butter lettuce | 2 cups |
| red onionthinly sliced | 1/2 small |
| lemoncut into wedges | 1 |
| mayonnaise | 3/4 cup |
| capersdrained and roughly chopped | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh dill (for sauce)finely chopped | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh lemon juice | 1 tablespoon |
| Dijon mustard (for sauce) | 1 teaspoon |
| garlicminced | 1 small clove |
| kosher salt | pinch |
Stir together mayonnaise, chopped capers, dill, lemon juice, Dijon, and minced garlic in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt, taste, and adjust the lemon or capers to your preference. The sauce should be tangy and herbaceous, punchy enough to stand up to rich salmon. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the patties.
Cut salmon into one-inch chunks. Transfer half to a food processor and pulse six to eight times until finely chopped, almost paste-like. Add to a large mixing bowl. Pulse the remaining salmon just three or four times until coarsely chopped with visible pieces. Combine both textures in the bowl. This mix of fine and coarse gives the burger structure and pleasant texture.
Add panko, beaten egg, dill, Dijon, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to the salmon. Mix gently with your hands or a fork until just combined. Overmixing creates a rubbery patty. The mixture will feel wet but should hold together when pressed. If it feels too loose, add another tablespoon of panko.
Divide mixture into four equal portions, about five ounces each. Shape into patties roughly three-quarters inch thick and slightly wider than your buns. Salmon shrinks less than beef, but the edges will pull in. Press a shallow dimple into the center of each patty with your thumb. Transfer to a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least fifteen minutes to firm up.
For a grill: preheat to medium-high and oil the grates generously. For a skillet: heat a large cast iron or nonstick pan over medium-high heat with two tablespoons of oil until shimmering. The surface must be properly hot before the patties touch it. A cold pan means sticking and falling apart.
Place patties on the grill or in the hot pan. Do not press down or move them for the first three minutes. You'll know they're ready to flip when the edges turn opaque and a golden crust forms on the bottom. Flip carefully with a thin spatula and cook another three to four minutes until the internal temperature reaches 145°F. The center should be just barely opaque, still moist and tender.
While patties rest, butter the cut sides of each brioche bun. Place butter-side down on the grill or in a clean pan over medium heat. Toast until golden brown, about ninety seconds. The butter creates a barrier against the juicy patty and adds richness. A limp, untoasted bun is an insult to everything you've built.
Spread a generous tablespoon of dill-caper sauce on each bun bottom. Add a handful of arugula or butter lettuce, then the salmon patty. Top with thinly sliced red onion and another spoonful of sauce on the bun top. Close the burger and press gently. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side for those who want extra brightness.
1 burger (about 360g)
Culinary guides, cultural storytelling, and the editorial depth that makes cooking meaningful.
Discover Culinary Explorer
Chef Dean
The legendary California drive-thru creation brought home: a thin beef patty smashed to a crispy-edged crust, painted with mustard, draped in American cheese, piled with sweet grilled onions, and slathered in tangy-sweet special sauce.
Chef Dean
The iconic New York bodega breakfast: shattering-crisp bacon, a golden-yolked fried egg, and molten American cheese tucked into a soft kaiser roll. This is the sandwich that built a city.
Chef Dean
New York's definitive breakfast: hand-sliced lox layered over schmeared cream cheese on a properly chewy bagel, crowned with paper-thin onion, ripe tomato, and briny capers. This is the sandwich that built a culinary tradition.
Chef Dean
Buffalo's proudest sandwich: silky rare roast beef mounded on a crusty roll showered with caraway and coarse salt, the top dipped in warm jus, the whole thing demanding horseradish and a cold beer.