I love salmon patties just with a little side salad, but place one between a crusty roll with crunchy lettuce and I”m in heaven. To take it up a notch I flavoured these salmon burgers with tandoori spices and add a minty yoghurt sauce to the burgers. Yummmmmm.

The salmon patties are bound with a mixture of bread crumbs and eggs. You can use any bread crumbs you have on hand and add a little more if you find they’re not sticking together – I find different types of breadcrumbs can have different results.

The salmon is really easy to prepare, you’re just baking it in the oven until cooked through, then flaking it to make the patties. The patties then get cooked again so they have a lovely crispy interior. That crispy edge is exactly what you want in a burger.

You could totally make these bun free by using bib lettuce or something soft and pliable like that and folding it around the patties, radish, cucumber and sauce. An example of this and instructions if you need them can be found in this moroccan burger recipe.

Coming into the warmer months this is so they type of food I want to be eating. Eat the outside in the sunshine with a spritz in hand.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Salmon Patties

1 x 500g tail of salmon

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil + 1 Tbs

2 cloves garlic, skin on

1/4 cup finely chopped spring onion

1 tsp lemon zest

1/4 cup finely chopped coriander

2 Tbs finely chopped mint

2 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

pinch nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 1/4 cups breadcrumbs + 1/2 cup to coat

2 eggs

To Build the Burger

4 burger rolls, cut in half

1 baby cos lettuce, leaves separated and washed

3 radishes, finely sliced

1 Lebanese cucumber, finely sliced

2-4 tsps chilli sauce of choice (so optional!)

Yoghurt sauce

2/3 cup yoghurt

2 Tbs finely chopped mint

2 Tbs finely chopped coriander

1 tsp lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Place the salmon tail on the parchment paper, add the cloves of garlic drizzle with a tsp of olive oil and season with a few cracks of salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Meanwhile, make the yoghurt sauce my combining the ‘yoghurt sauce ingredients’ in a small bowl. Stir well and season to taste. Set aside.

Place all the salmon patty ingredients in a large bowl, excluding the breadcrumbs.

Next remove the salmon from the oven and allow to cool slightly (at least 5 minutes). Flake the salmon into the large bowl with the other ingredients, crush the roasted garlic cloves into this too, add the breadcrumbs and mix well to combine. i find it easier to just use clean hands to do this. Once well mixed try to shape the mix into patties. If it is sticking together well divide the mixture into 4 patties and continue, if not add another 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs at a time until it is easy to mould. Shape 4 patties out of the mixture.

Place the remaining breadcrumbs in a bowl and press each patty into them. Turn and coat the other side.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large heavy based fry pan. Once hot turn down the heat to medium high and place the salmon patties in. Cook for 3 minutes each side, or until golden. Remove from the pan. Place the burger bun halves in the pan soft side down and toast for 1 minute.

Build the burgers: Spread a good dollop of yoghurt sauce on the bottom bun, follow with some lettuce, radish slices, the salmon patty and the cucumber. Spread a little yoghurt sauce or some chilli sauce on the top bun and place on top. Eat!

HH. x