Shrimp Burgers with Asian Tartar Sauce

This shrimp burger knocked my socks off.

That asian tartar sauce lovingly spooned atop that shrimp burger? It rocked my world so much that it knocked something else off.

Use your imagination.

That kale slaw you see cuddled up to the burger? I ate it for days and loved it more each time. But I’ll tell you more about it next time.

This time we’ll talk about the shrimp burger and its adjoining sauce. And the fact that I’m now missing a few pairs of socks and panties after eating it.

You win some, you lose some (articles of clothing). Shrimp burgers make loss more appealing.

This shrimp burger is actually a result of my fondness for burgers that aren’t burgers. Beef burgers are groovy, alright, but that’s been done to death. Make me a burger with some unorthodox ingredients and you’ve got me. A seafood burger? I just died.

These shrimp burgers have an asian spin to them, heady with sesame and citrus, which is also echoed in that glorious tartar sauce. Yes, tartar sauce can be glorious when touched with a bit of toasted sesame oil.

As a matter of fact, ANYTHING is delightfully better with toasted sesame oil.

Which makes me wonder how many people would be interested in my recipe for sesame roasted golf balls?

Shrimp Burgers with Asian Tartar Sauce
(Burgers adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook)

For the burgers:

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons scallions, chopped, green part only
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

For the tartar sauce:
1/3 cup mayo
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon scallions, minced, green part only
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon agave syrup

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the shrimp ten times. Add the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, scallions, cilantro, lemon zest, salt, pepper, ginger, and sesame oil. Pulse 5-10 more times, just until the mixture comes together.

Form into 4 evenly sized burgers and chill for at least one hour (don’t skip this step, as the burgers are delicate to handle).

Cook the burgers 4-5 minutes per side, until golden.

To prepare the tartar sauce: Whisk together the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, scallions, ginger, sesame oil, lemon zest, cilantro, sriracha, lemon juice, and agave. Chill at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.

Yield: 4 Burgers