Arctic Char Burgers

Arctic Char Burgers
Melina Hammer for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes (includes refrigeration time)
Rating
5(62)
Comments
Read comments

The Food Network personality Alton Brown is deeply in love with arctic char because it is sustainable, affordable and delicious in several applications. He punches up these fish burgers with horseradish and furikake, a Japanese seasoning mix that usually contains ground fish, sesame seeds, seaweed, sugar and MSG. He discovered it on the set of "Iron Chef America," which he hosted for Food Network. Of all the recipes in his book "EveryDayCook," it is his favorite. —Kim Severson

Featured in: Alton Brown, Showman of Food TV, Pulls Back the Curtain

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement


Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1pound boneless, skinless arctic char fillets
  • cup panko bread crumbs
  • ¼cup finely diced scallions
  • ¼cup finely diced red bell pepper
  • 1teaspoon prepared horseradish
  • 1large egg white
  • 2teaspoons wasabi fumi furikake
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4onion buns
  • Kewpie mayonnaise, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

458 calories; 25 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 459 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    If the char is frozen, thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before chopping. If it’s raw, freeze for 30 minutes before chopping. Chop into ¼-inch cubes and transfer to a medium mixing bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Gently fold in the panko, scallions, bell pepper, horseradish, egg white, furikake, salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Divide the mixture into 4 portions and shape into ¾-inch-thick patties. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch seasoned cast-iron or other nonstick pan until the oil shimmers. Add the patties and cook for 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Flip and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Move the patties to a plate to rest for about 3 minutes, then serve on onion buns. Toasting the buns and adding a squeeze of the Japanese-style mayonnaise is optional but recommended.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
62 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Oddly, we don't seem to have any wasabi fumi furikake in our pantry. Can anyone suggest a substitute?

Ha! I imagine one could whir together some dried nori sheets and some sesame seeds. Or use a little plain old wasabi paste. In my experience, this recipe takes well to other spice profiles, too.

I have made something very similar to this recipe using both salmon and farmed steelhead trout from Costco. If I had a ready source of Char I'd certainly try it. IMO, this recipe will turn out just fine without the wasabi. I do have prepared horseradish so will try that as a substitute for the Dijon mustard I normally add. Finally, I suggest lightly dusting the patties with flour just before pan frying. The flour will help create a nice crust on the patty.

This was outstanding and easy. I did not want to waste an egg (2025 egg inflation), so I subbed about a tablespoon of mayo. Also had no horseradish so used Dijon mustard. Freezing the fish and then chopping worked great, and after 30 min in the fridge, the burgers held together beautifully. And they were delicious. I will definitely make this again.

Anyone got any hints for deboning the arctic char? I bought frozen skin on filets and it's bony.

I adapted this to farmed salmon because it's readily available. My family and everyone who has tried it, loves it. Here are the substitutions: 1 pound boneless, skinless salmon fillet ¼ cup finely diced roasted red bell pepper ½ teaspoon wasabi powder 1 teaspoon smoked shoyu (soy sauce); no additional salt 4 whole wheat english muffins (center dough removed), toasted Wasabi sauce, for serving

Private comments are only visible to you.

Credits

Adapted from "EveryDayCook" by Alton Brown (Ballantine, 2016)

or to save this recipe.