Sesame Tuna Burgers With Fried Shoestring Zucchini Recipes

Steps:

• Chop the tuna into chunks, add them to a food processor, and pulse a few times to break up the pieces. In a bowl mix the soy sauce, oil, lime juice, cilantro, and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Pour over the tuna and process until well blended. Form into 4 patties and grill.
• For the sauce, cut the tofu into chunks and put them into a blender with the ginger, cilantro, chile, sesame oil, lime juice, soy sauce, water, and salt and pepper, to taste. Puree, taste, and adjust seasoning. Top the burgers with the sauce and garnish with the spicy sprouts.

Steps:

• Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and egg to a large mixing bowl. Mix well, then fold in the tuna, red bell pepper and scallions. Mix well to coat everything evenly. Sprinkle with salt and fold in the panko breadcrumbs to lightly bind everything. Carefully form the mixture into 4 even-size patties and set on a platter. Refrigerate so the patties firm up and hold their shape when cooked, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Coat the pan with a little vegetable oil and cook the tuna patties 3 minutes per side (when done, the patties will be browned on the outside and medium-rare in the center).
• Grill the hamburger buns over high heat until well charred and crispy.
• Serve the tuna burgers slathered with the Spicy Sriracha Mayo, lettuce leaves and tomato slices on the toasted, seeded hamburger buns, paired with the dry Riesling.
• Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, Sriracha, sesame oil, lemon juice, honey and scallions in a large mixing bowl. Stir well to combine, season with salt and pepper and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Toast sesame seeds:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Toast sesame seeds in a shallow baking pan in oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely. Transfer 2 tablespoons seeds to a small bowl and 1/4 cup to grinder. Transfer remaining 3/4 cup to a wide shallow bowl.
• Prepare shoestring zucchini for frying:
• Halve 3 zucchini crosswise, then cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch shoestrings using slicer. Toss with 1 teaspoon salt in a large sieve set over a bowl and drain 30 minutes.
• Squeeze handfuls of zucchini to remove moisture, then roll up in a triple layer of paper towels and squeeze to remove remaining moisture.
• Form burgers:
• Finely chop tuna with a large wet knife (about 3/4-inch pieces). Stir together soy sauce, 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl, then stir in tuna. Divide tuna mixture into 4 portions. Pack 1 portion in a 1/2-cup measure, then invert onto seeds in shallow bowl. Gently press tuna to form a patty 3 1/2 inches in diameter, then coat completely with seeds and transfer to a wax-paper-lined plate. Form, coat, and transfer 3 more burgers in same manner. Chill, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to cook. Discard any sesame seeds remaining in shallow bowl.
• Make sesame mixture:
• Grind seeds that are already in grinder, pulsing until ground to a flour, then add to remaining seeds (2 tablespoons) in small bowl.
• Prepare zucchini:
• Remove julienne attachment from slicer, then cut remaining zucchini lengthwise into 3/4-inch-thick ribbons using slicer. Gently toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and set aside (zucchini will wilt and become tender).
• Heat 1 inch oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat until thermometer registers 330°F.
• Toss all of shoestring zucchini with half of sesame mixture in another large bowl, then fry in 4 batches, turning occasionally with a slotted spoon, until zucchini are golden, about 2 minutes per batch. (Return oil to 330°F between batches.) Transfer zucchini as fried to paper towels to drain. Toss each batch of zucchini immediately with some of remaining sesame mixture.
• Cook burgers and assemble dish:
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Cook burgers, turning over once, about 2 minutes total for medium-rare tuna (seeds should be golden brown).
• Drain zucchini ribbons and divide among 4 plates, then top with burgers and fried shoestring zucchini. Serve burgers with additional soy sauce on the side.

Steps:

• Halve zucchini crosswise, then cut each half lengthwise into 1/8-inch-wide slices and cut slices lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick strips. Toss with salt in a large medium-mesh sieve set over a bowl and drain 30 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of zucchini to remove moisture, then roll up in a triple layer of paper towels and squeeze to remove remaining moisture.
• Cook garlic in oil in a 7- to 8-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Discard garlic.
• While garlic is cooking, toss zucchini with flour in a small bowl, then add to oil and fry, turning occasionally with a slotted spoon, until zucchini is golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer zucchini to paper towels to drain. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• For the fried shallots: Heat 1/2 inch oil in a small skillet over medium; attach a deep-fat thermometer to skillet. When oil shimmers and reaches 320 degrees, carefully add half of shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until shallots are just golden and bubbles stop forming rapidly around them, 2 to 3 minutes. (They will darken and crisp as they cool; do not let darken in oil, or they will taste bitter.) Transfer to paper towels, season with salt, and let stand until cool and crisp. Repeat with remaining shallots.
• For the fried shallots: Heat 1/2 inch oil in a small skillet over medium; attach a deep-fat thermometer to skillet. When oil shimmers and reaches 320 degrees, carefully add half of shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until shallots are just golden and bubbles stop forming rapidly around them, 2 to 3 minutes. (They will darken and crisp as they cool; do not let darken in oil, or they will taste bitter.) Transfer to paper towels, season with salt, and let stand until cool and crisp. Repeat with remaining shallots.
• For the tuna: Pat fish dry. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and sesame seeds. Sprinkle mixture evenly over fish, patting with fingers to adhere; let stand 5 minutes.
• Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high until very hot and wisps of smoke are visible, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tuna and cook, undisturbed, until bottom is golden brown and releases easily from skillet and fish is opaque about 1/4 inch up sides, about 1 minute. Flip fish and cook on second side about 1 minute more. Transfer to a cutting board; let stand a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, oil, and ginger for vinaigrette. Slice fish into scant 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Arrange on a platter for sharing or on 4 individual salad plates. To serve, drizzle vinaigrette evenly over fish and sprinkle with shiso, shallots, bonito, and flaky salt.

Steps:

• Light the grill: Place a chimney starter on the grate of a charcoal grill. Add newspaper in the bottom, then fill with charcoal. Light the newspaper, which will light the charcoal. When the charcoal is mature with ashed-over gray embers (about 30-45 minutes later), remove the grill top and place the charcoal underneath.While you're waiting for the charcoal to heat up, prepare the aioli (Step 2).
• Sesame aioli: In a mixing bowl, whisk vinegar, egg yolk, yuzu kosho, and miso to a thick paste. Add the honey, then slowly whisk in the sesame oil and the grapeseed oil, a little at a time, alternating between the oils to balance the aioli. Finish by whisking in the zest from 1 lime and the crème fraîche. Set aside. (Sesame aioli will keep in the refrigerator 2-3 days.)
• Tuna burgers: Cut the tuna into thin planks, then into strips and chunks. Finish by roughly chopping to a fine dice. (Alternatively, tuna can go in a meat grinder.) Use a Microplane to grate the ginger (with skin), garlic, lime (zest only), and chile (stopping before you get to the seeds); add them to the chopped tuna. Add the cilantro, followed by half of the aioli, and gently mix to combine. Mix until mixture is tight and sticky, about 3-4 minutes. Chill for 35-40 minutes.
• Cook the burgers: Roll the chilled tuna into balls, then gently flatten to just under an inch thick, but don't pack them too tightly. Set patties aside as they're formed. When all the patties are ready to go, season with salt and pepper; grill over medium heat until just cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side.
• Assemble the burgers: Place each burger onto a bun; top with sesame aioli and a slice of tomato just before serving.