Source: Courtesy of Scherise Merritt /
Welcome to Mealtime Magic by MADAMENOIRE, a series of tasty recipes crafted by incredible chefs with one goal in mind: creating moments that transcend the ordinary. All you need is great food, great people, and an ice-cold beverage.
Kicking off our culinary adventure is Chef Scherise Merritt’s recipe for a summertime favorite with a Caribbean twist: jerk salmon burgers.
“This juicy seafood burger is perfect to enjoy year-round, but especially in the summertime,” says the foodie entrepreneur. Merritt is not only a bomb chef, but she is also the founder and creator of Home Beis, which offers a tantalizing selection of sodium-free spice blends that even her Dominican grandmother would approve of.
Source: Courtesy of Scherise Merritt /
Inspired by her time living in Brooklyn, New York and the aroma of jerk chicken cooking outside on sidewalk grills, the New York-born chef celebrates the borough’s vibrant West Indian community through her love of food.
“My husband and I no longer live in Brooklyn, but we often crave the taste of jerk, so I created these easy jerk salmon burgers as an ode to the smells we loved smelling while driving up and down Utica Ave,” she said. “Spread love. It’s the Brooklyn way! A little phrase we’ve carried even after leaving the borough.”
Paying homage to Peppa’s Jerk Chicken, “our favorite jerk chicken spot,” Chef Scherise married the bold flavors she craves “with a seafood twist” to craft her signature play on an American classic. It’s her way of recreating the taste of home and sharing her love of Brooklyn on a plate.
“This recipe is a go-to when entertaining friends and super easy to create,” she says. “Make indoors on a grill pan or on the grill outside.”
It’s all about sharing the flavors (and memories) of home with loved ones, old and new. With this recipe, we’re looking forward to creating new memories with new friends, whether we’re sitting down for a low-key meal or connecting over a festive spread.
So let’s create a recipe for magic this summer. It’s not complicated. All you need is good people, good food, and an ice-cold drink in hand.
Jerk Salmon Burger
Time: 20-25 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
Salmon burger:
- 2 pounds salmon, skin removed
- one-fourth of a bell pepper, finely diced
- one-fourth of a medium sweet onion, finely diced
- One tablespoon of West Indian pepper sauce or your favorite habanero hot sauce
- 2 scallion stalks, finely diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or mashed
- 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
- half a teaspoon of sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Home Beis Irie Rub or your favorite jerk rub
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- One egg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Burger buns
Sriracha aioli:
- half cup mayo
- half a teaspoon of sesame oil
- One tablespoon of sriracha sauce
Suggested toppings:
- Arugula
- Sliced avocados
- Cilantro
- Thinly sliced red onions
Directions
1. Grind the salmon. Then add your fish into a blender or food processor until nicely ground. A few pulses should do the trick. Then transfer your ground meat to a large bowl.
Source: Courtesy of Scherise Merritt /
2. Season the salmon to create the burger patties. Add all the ingredients into the same bowl as your ground fish and mix until combined, being careful not to overmix.
Source: Courtesy of Scherise Merritt /
3. Grab 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons of the salmon mixture in the palms of your hands to form a patty.
Source: Courtesy of Scherise Merritt /
4. Place the patty on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all of your patties are formed.
5. Place your patties in the freezer for about 10 minutes while you prep the salmon burger toppings. Freezing them helps keep their shape when you grill them.
6. Make the sriracha aioli while the patties firm up in the freezer. Add the mayo, sriracha sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl and mix until combined. Prep your toppings as well.
7. Remove the burgers from the freezer. Grill each patty on medium to high heat for about 4 minutes on each side.
Source: Courtesy of Scherise Merritt /
8. Grab your buns, add the sriracha aioli and the grilled jerk salmon patty and finish off with your toppings.
9. Serve and enjoy!
