Thai Tuna Burgers with Ginger Lemon Mayonnaise

Burgers, East Asian, Seafood

Ingredients:

Ginger-Lemon Mayonnaise

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion greens
  • 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds or toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
  • Finely grated zest of 1lemon
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Cucumber Salad

  • 2 Kirby cucumbers, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Tuna Burgers

  • 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed
  • 1 Thai or serrano chile, seeded and minced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
  • 1 1/2 pounds sushi-quality tuna
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, finely chopped

 

Directions:

Make the mayonnaise
In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, soy sauce, cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds, ginger, lemon zest and juice, and black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the cucumber salad
In a medium bowl, toss cucumbers, onion, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Let stand for 1 hour at room temperature.

Make the burgers
In a mortar or medium bowl, using the back of a spoon, mash ginger with garlic, chile, and sugar to a paste. Stir in fish sauce, cilantro, and basil. On a clean cutting board, thinly slice tuna. Stack slices and cut into thin matchsticks. Cut matchsticks into rough cubes, then chop until pieces are roughly 1/8 inch. Add tuna to ginger paste and stir until evenly combined.

Using lightly moistened hands, shape tuna mixture into 4 patties about 1 inch thick. Set them on a large plate lined with plastic wrap. Refrigerate tuna burgers for at least 20 minutes.

Light a grill. In a small bowl, combine vegetable oil and sesame oil. Lightly brush burgers and cut sides of buns with oil. When fire is medium-hot, brush grate with oil. Grill burgers for 6 minutes, turning once, for medium rare. Move burgers away from heat and grill cut sides of the buns until toasted, 1 minute.

Drain Cucumber Salad. Spread Ginger-Lemon Mayonnaise on the cut sides of buns and set tuna burgers on bottoms. Top with the Cucumber Salad and peanuts. Cover burgers with buns and serve.