We are going Vietnamese with this burger tonight!
I originally got the idea for this burger when I was working on my Rouxbe plant-based cooking class. We were doing our section on creating burgers and all of a sudden, this idea popped into my head….I want to make a Bahn mi burger!
Obviously, I did! And here it is…
I have made quite a few tweaks to my recipe since then but now I think I have it just perfect!
Bahn mi sandwiches, in general, do not have a ton of toppings, really the main two parts of this burger that need to shine are the protein used and the do chua.
I know….you are thinking, what in tarnation?? Do Chua is the Vietnamese pickles that are found on a bahn mi burger. The word basically means “pickled stuff.”
The pickled concoction usually consists of daikon radish and carrot but seeing as I am not really a huge fan of raw cucumbers, I just decided to pickle them right along with the other veggies!
Delicious!
I recommend putting these veggies in the fridge overnight to really soak up all the brine but if you don’t have a ton of time, about 30 minutes will work, but giving these babies some time to sit really amps up the flavor of this burger!
I chose white fish because a lot of the flavor is going specifically into the burger and I wanted a fish that would not overpower the taste. This fish burger has fish sauce, lemongrass, ginger, scallions, jalapeno, and Chinese five spice.
A spice that I really like to have on hand, but you don’t always see it at grocery stores is Chinese five spice. It is a combination of five of the main spices that are used in Chinese cooking. Star anise, Chinese cinnamon, cloves, Sichuan pepper, and fennel. I add it to a lot of my Asian recipes and I am sure you will see it used again throughout this blog!
The fish patty is super easy to put together in a food processor, just add the fish, scallions, jalapeno, the bread crumbs, and pulse! I usually take out the mixture and mix in all the other ingredients just to make sure I have really combined all the spices but you can also just blend all the ingredients together in the processor. Make them into patties, fry them up, and voila!
I added lemongrass and ginger essential oils to these burgers (surprised I know). To me, it made it a lot easier to put the flavors of lemongrass and ginger in the burger, but you can totally mince up some lemongrass and ginger and throw it in instead if your heart so desires! Now the hard part comes….
No, not really.
Add the siracha mayo to your bun, top with your patty, cilantro, and the do chua, and you are ready to make this guy disappear into your belly! The best part of the whole thing if you ask me.
(You didn’t ask but you still get my opinion anyway!)
Bahn Mi FIsh Burger with Sriracha Mayo
Ingredients
- 1 lb of white fish (recipe notes)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 drop lemongrass essential oil
- 3 drops ginger essential oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
- Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
- Avocado oil, for frying
- Handful of cilantro
Dua Chua
- 2-3 large carrots
- 1 medium daikon radish
- 1 cucumber
- 2 cups hot water
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons salt or ume vinegar
- 1 cup rice vinegar
Sriracha Mayo
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
Instructions
- Add the salmon, chopped scallions, jalapeno and garlic to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it is finely chopped.
- Add the chopped salmon to a bowl with the panko breadcrumbs, fish sauce, lemongrass, ginger, lime juice, honey and olive oil. Mix with a spoon until just combined. Form into 4 equally sized burgers (or 2 large) burgers.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a tablespoon of avocado oil. Cook burgers on each side until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side. Be gentle when flipping the burgers.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a tablespoon of avocado oil. Cook burgers on each side until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side. Be gentle when flipping the burgers.
Do Chua
- Cut vegetables to desired size. (I used a vegetable peeler and just made long peels.)
- Dissolve sugar in hot water, then combine with vegetables, remaining vinegar and salt.
- Add vinegar solution to jars to cover daikon & carrots. Seal and store at room temperature until pickled to your taste. (I let mine sit overnight in the refrigerator.)
Sriracha Mayo
- Combine mayonnaise and sriracha in a bowl until well combined. Ready!
Notes
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You could easily make this into a veggie burger by replacing the fish with two cans of white beans.
-
Be sure not to overcook the fish! It may seem like it needs longer but it doesn’t, it will dry up pretty quickly if overcooked.
