Don’t Be Fooled By The Fishy Ingredients: This Burger Is Delicious

Chef Marcus Samuelsson first fell in love with a version of this burger at a tiny fish shack in Barbados. Paul Brissman /Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt hide caption toggle caption Paul Brissman /Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

http://www.npr.org/2015/02/26/389050800/dont-be-fooled-by-the-fishy-ingredients-this-burger-is-delicious

Recipe: Cuz’s Fish Burgers With Bajan Mayo

Serves 4

Bajan Mayo:

1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Colman’s dry mustard
2 pinches sugar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce
1 cup olive oil

Glaze:

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon wasabi paste
4 drops sesame oil
4 dashes Tabasco or other hot sauce

Burgers:

4 (4-ounce) skinless fish fillets (halibut, mahi-mahi, swordfish and snapper are all good choices)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 sesame buns, split
4 slices cheddar cheese
1 tomato, thinly sliced
4 slices red onion
4 romaine lettuce leaves
About 1/4 cup pickled cabbage
4 large eggs, prepared over easy

Bajan Mayo:

Whisk the egg yolk, salt, mustard, and sugar together in a glass bowl. Combine the vinegar, lemon juice and Tabasco in a measuring cup.

Whisk half the liquid into the yolk. Then begin whisking in the oil, a few drops at a time, until the mayo begins to emulsify. Continue whisking in the oil — you can add it more quickly now — until the mayo is very thick. Add the rest of the liquid and whisk until well-combined. Cover and refrigerate. It will keep for about 1 week.

Glaze:

Stir all the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Burgers:

Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over high heat.

Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Spoon the vegetable oil into the hot pan. Add the fish, brush the top with the glaze, and sear for 3 minutes. Turn the fish over, paint it with glaze, and sear until the fish feels firm when you prod it, about 3 minutes.

To assemble the burgers, spread a thin layer of the Bajan mayo on both sides of the sesame buns. To each, add a cooked fillet, a slice of cheddar cheese, a piece of tomato, a slice of onion, a lettuce leaf, and a tablespoon or so of the pickled cabbage. Top with an over-easy egg.