Lobster Burgers with Browned Butter Lemon Aioli + Basil Corn Salsa, Bacon
Lobster, corn and smoky bacon come together to make a delicious summer lunch or dinner.
Lobster, corn and smoky bacon come together to make a delicious summer lunch or dinner.
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- pinch of salt
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 lemon, juiced
- pinch of cayenne
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 pound fresh lobster meat (about 4 tails)
- 1/2 pound raw shrimp peeled + deveined
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs (use gluten free if needed)
- 1/4 shredded gruyere cheese
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 6 brioche or pretzel burger buns toasted (use gluten free if needed)
- 6-8 slices cooked thick cut bacon
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/2 cup mayo (i like using olive oil based based mayo)
- 1-2 tablespoons sweet thai chili sauce (i used 2 tablespoons)
- 1 small clove garlic minced or grated
- 2 ears [grilled corn | http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/ex
- 1 peach, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil sliced or chopped
- 1 jalapeã±o, seeded + chopped
- Carbohydrate 1.40078879760226 g
- Cholesterol 77.7904502087207 mg
- Fat 8.34038983671615 g
- Fiber 0.110516668463527 g
- Protein 7.88449252901185 g
- Saturated Fat 4.98383791655083 g
- Serving Size 1 1 BURGERS (135g)
- Sodium 136.528433990126 mg
- Sugar 1.29027212913873 g
- Trans Fat 0.721928114898795 g
- Calories 111 calories
Step-by-step
- Add lobster and shrimp meat to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it’s somewhat ground. You can also chop the lobster and shrimp very finely with a sharp knife.
- Remove and add the seafood to a bowl with the Panko bread crumbs, gruyere, lemon zest, cayenne, salt and pepper. Mix with a spoon until just combined. Form into 6 equally sized burgers. Place the burgers on a plate, cover and place in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile make the aioli and salsa. In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan add the butter and melt over medium heat until just browned. Butter will melt, foam, and froth, and then begin to brown along the bottom. Whisk the browned butter bits off of the bottom of the pan and set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile add the mayo, lemon juice, sweet thai chili sauce, garlic, pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper to a medium sized bowl. Stir in the cooled brown butter and whisk until smooth and combined, cover and place in the fridge until ready to use.
- To make the salsa cut the kernels off the grilled corn and add them to a medium size bowl. To the bowl add the peach, basil, jalapeño, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Give everything a good toss. Store, covered in the fridge until ready to use.
- When you are ready to eat, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and allow it to melt. Swirl the butter around the pan and add as many burgers as you can fit without crowding the pan. Cook the burgers for 5-8 minutes per side or until cooked through. Be gentle when flipping the burgers as they can break easier than your typical burger.
- Spread the bottom of each toasted burger bun with as little or as much aioli as you wish. Add the burger patties, sliced avocado and bacon. Top that with the Basil Corn + Peach salsa. Add the top bun and dive in!
Seafood proteins demand swift execution and strict temperature control to prevent a rubbery texture. Grinding lobster and shrimp together creates a cohesive patty, but raw crustacean meat remains delicate until proteins coagulate under heat. Chilling formed patties for fifteen to thirty minutes in the refrigerator firms the structure, ensuring the mixture holds together during transfer to a hot skillet. Pulsing the raw seafood in a food processor takes less than thirty seconds, but hand-chopping with a chef's knife yields larger, more distinct pieces of meat if preferred.
Managing the Workflow and Browning Butter
Efficient multitasking defines this thirty-minute window. While the shaped patties rest, melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Watch the milk solids closely as they foam, froth, and settle to the bottom, turning golden brown and releasing a nutty aroma within four to six minutes. Whisk those browned bits immediately into the waiting mayonnaise, lemon juice, and sweet Thai chili base. Simultaneously, char the corn kernels and combine them with finely chopped peaches, fresh basil, and seeded jalapeño for the accompanying salsa. Keep both components chilled until assembly.Cooking and Doneness
Heat a heavy skillet over medium and add a tablespoon of fresh butter to coat the cooking surface. Cook the patties for five to eight minutes per side. Because seafood does not brown as deeply as beef, judge doneness by firmness and opacity rather than dark external crusts. Handle the flip with a thin, wide spatula, moving deliberately to avoid fracturing the tender edges. Toast brioche or pretzel buns lightly on the cut side before smearing them with the browned butter aioli. Layer thick-cut bacon and sliced avocado beneath the warm patty, then crown the stack with the chilled corn and peach salsa.
