Mixing Bowl

THE MIXING BOWL Asian turkey burgers

Tarmo Hannula

GOOD COMBO Asian ingredients and ground turkey combine well.

By SARAH RINGLER

Ground turkey combines well with Asian ingredients to create a flavorful and crunchy burger. Shallots add a more intense onion taste, water chestnuts add crunch and lime zest provides a zing. My recipe here is a version from Sylvia Fountaine, chef and author of the website, Feasting At Home.

The best buns for these burgers are King’s Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls. Since the rolls are small, you can make smaller burgers, aka sliders. Or, since the buns are attached to each other, you can detach four buns together and slice horizontally down the middle to make one big bun.

King’s Hawaiian evolved out of a Portuguese sweet bread called pao doce. In 1950, the buns were baked and sold at Robert’s Bakery in Hilo, Hawaii, owned and operated by Robert R. Taira. Later in 1963, the bakery moved to King Street in Honolulu where it acquired its new name. The surprise ingredient in these fluffy, eggy, buttery and sweet rolls is pineapple juice.

Or, you can make your own buns. There are several recipes online. If you make your own dough, you can form and bake it into a conventional burger bun shape. But I can’t guarantee they’ll be as good as King’s.

ASIAN TURKEY BURGERS

1 pound ground turkey—thigh meat has the most flavor 3 tablespoons shallot, very finely diced 2 garlic cloves – finely minced 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1/2 –1 pickled jalapeño, seeded and chopped or red chili sauce to taste 1 green onion, chopped 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated, or chopped ginger 1 tablespoon finely chopped or grated lime peel 1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts

Burger toppings:

Shredded cabbage

Pickled red onions

Sriracha or ketchup mayonnaise

King’s Hawaiian bread

Break up the ground turkey in a big bowl. Mince the shallots and garlic together. Add cilantro, pickled jalapeño and green onion and continue to chop together. Add it all to the ground turkey. Add grated ginger, lime peel, fish sauce, sugar, salt and black pepper. Finally, add coarsely chopped water chestnuts. Mix well. Form into four burgers or eight sliders. Set aside and refrigerate until ready to grill.

Before cooking, set out buns, pickled red onions, mayonnaise, sriracha, cabbage or whatever toppings you want.

Prepare the grill to barbecue or a fry pan. Cook on both sides until done. Take a little taste of the burger and sprinkle with salt and pepper if necessary. Heat the buns on the grill to toast. Serve. Makes four burgers