Fight the August heat with this interesting dish
August is the hottest month in the Carolinas. There is often a break of a couple of cooler days in mid-month, but other than that, the sun is beating down and threatening even fish with third-degree sunburn. It doesn’t help that the humidity also hovers around the 80- to 90-percent level like the barometer is broken.
A few South Carolina counties get a head start on deer season this month, but the combination of heat, humidity, snakes and ticks keeps a lot of folks on the water. That’s not bad, as there is good fishing in August from the mountains to the sea.
Whether you like mountain trout, smallmouth or largemouth bass, catfish, stripers, redfish, speckled trout, flounder, king mackerel, dolphin or whatever, there are fish willing to bite. Another attraction to August fishing is that the weather has usually stabilized. It’s hot, but unless there is a tropical system influencing it, most mornings are calm, and a sea breeze begins around noon. The weather is usually pretty accommodating for fishermen once you get past the heat.
As hot as the August days can be, the first hint of the cooler evenings of the approaching fall comes during August. The temperatures begin to cool a little earlier in the day, and it’s comfortable to be on your deck or patio after 6 p.m. or so. Everyone needs to get outside and enjoy the cooler evenings, and this is a recipe for then. It’s a little off the beaten path, but regular readers know to expect that from me.
Fishburgers are a recipe that began with an idle mind and an empty stomach; there may even have been a few adult beverages in the mix. It had a lot of influences from grilled fish to those big grilled backyard burgers everyone loves, plus crab and salmon cakes. There was some serious experimentation early on, and it’s still fun to experiment and tinker with the recipe a little. Several options will be mentioned later.
The basics are some firm fish and a little venison, feral pork or even domestic sausage. If the combination sounds unusual, it is. However, it tastes good, and everyone that has sampled it so far has liked it. The bottom line is that fishburgers are fun to make, pleasing to the eye and tasty to the palate. What more could you ask from a simple summer evening recipe?
Fishburgers
This is a recipe that is suitable for a lot of experimentation and personal fine-tuning. The recipe as presented here is the basic one. Almost every ingredient can be increased or decreased to alter the taste, plus several ingredients can be substituted or omitted.
Most people know that I prefer my food with some spice. However, this version is what I call the everyman version. Even though it includes jalapeno peppers, it is really pretty mild. However, if you think it needs to be milder — or just don’t like the flavor of jalapenos — just leave them out or substitute a baby green bell pepper. Also, for those like me who like a little more oomph to their food, it can easily be tuned up.
The two requirements for the fish are that it should be firm and mild. It’s going to be chopped and mixed and shouldn’t get mushy. It also shouldn’t be a strong fish that could override the flavor of the other ingredients. I used dolphin for this because it was readily available during the summer. It also works well with stripers and redfish.
Even though only a little is used, the sausage definitely is one of the upfront flavors. Spicier sausage also leads to spicier burgers. This is a good time to use some of your venison or feral pig sausage, but domestic pork and even turkey sausage, will work. If you’re in a pinch for time, pre-cooked sausage crumbles may also be used. They aren’t as tasty, but they work.
The peppers make it colorful, and the jalapeno adds more flavor than heat, unless you grow or purchase hot jalapenos. Use baby bell peppers for the other peppers. The size is right for the amount needed and they have a lightly sweet flavor.
Seafood breader is used instead of bread crumbs for the filler to include a familiar seafood taste. Because of the moisture from the ingredients, it will take around a half cup, maybe more, of seafood breader. Begin with a quarter cup and add it slowly, mixing well, until the mixture is firm enough to form patties. It will be sticky, and wax paper helps press out the patties without sticking too badly.
The seafood breader can greatly influence the taste. For this batch. I used regular House-Autry because I wanted it to be mild. Feel free to use one of the spicier breaders or add cayenne pepper and spices to a milder one. Spicier breader will kick it up a notch — or three — if that’s what you like.
Many folks would fry the burgers, and that certainly works. However, I like to be outside and cook them on the grill. If the grill is already heated up, it doesn’t take long. A grill tray, sprayed with non-stick coating, helps too.
I prepared this batch as full-size burgers, but they work really well as sliders; just make the patties smaller. These patties don’t shrink and only swell a little, so make them the size of the rolls you will be using.
Toppings and condiments that work are as varied as people’s tastes. If I have lettuce and tomato, that’s usually the way I go. However, I also like them as simple as mayo with a little Texas Pete Cha Sauce sprinkled on. There are several suggestions at the end of the preparations, including an interesting tropical fruit enhanced tartar sauce one of my friends suggested.
If you like fish and/or burgers, I believe you’ll like this. Enjoy.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound skinless fish fillets — firm fish like dolphin, striper or redfish
2/3 cup bulk sausage
1 pack of your preferred burger or sandwich buns
1 egg
1/3 cup chopped sweet onion
1 jalapeno pepper
1 red baby bell pepper
1 orange baby bell pepper
1/2 cup (approximate) seafood breader
1/4 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
Coarse ground black pepper
Coarse ground pink salt
PREPARATION:
Lightly cook sausage, drain and set aside. Pre-cooked sausage crumbles may be substituted. Finely chop onion. Remove seeds and finely chop jalapeno and bell peppers. Finely chop fish fillet. Combine the fish, sausage, egg, peppers and liquid smoke and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix in seafood breader slowly. Start with 1/4 cup and add slowly until mixture stiffens enough to form into patties. The amount of breader will vary with the type of fish, size of the peppers and other inherent moisture. Spray non-stick spray onto the grill tray. Preheat grill to low-medium. Make bun-size patties about 1/2-inch thick. Place patties on grill and cook 5 to 10 minutes. Time will vary from grill to grill, and there will usually be some browning of the breader when they are ready to turn. Flip and cook an additional 5 to 8 minutes until the breader begins to brown. Lightly toast buns on grill. Remove and serve while warm.
SANDWICH PREP:
This can be served as simple as with mayonnaise or tartar sauce on the bun. Texas Pete Cha Sauce can be added to the mayonnaise or tartar sauce for a little kick. Fresh lettuce and a slice of tomato or rough cut coleslaw are good topper options. Your favorite tartar sauce can be given a tropical flair by adding a little diced fresh mango, diced fresh papaya, chopped onion and key lime zest. Serve with a green salad and baked sweet potato or baked sweet potato fries for a tasty, but light meal. Chilled melon balls are the perfect dessert.
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