Grilled BC Halibut Burgers
Turn up the barbecue and celebrate BC Day with grilled Pacific Ocean halibut burgers. Top the halibut burgers with a homemade peach, jalapeno and grilled corn salsa as well as zesty turmeric and dill homemade zucchini pickles. Zucchini pickles recipe included below to batch make and save for later!Ingredients
Serves 4
2 ears corn, husked
3 tbsp (45 ml) grapeseed oil, divided
2 medium peaches, pitted and diced
1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced (seeded to reduce heat)
½ cup (125 ml) finely diced red onions
¼ cup (60 ml) finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves or flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tbsp (15 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more to taste
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 × 5 oz (140 g) skinless BC halibut fillets
1 lemon, cut in half
4 brioche burger buns
8 leaves green leaf lettuce
1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
ZUCCHINI PICKLES
½ lb (225 g) zucchini, washed and ends trimmed
½ medium sweet onion, sliced into ⅛-in (0.3 cm) thick slices
1 tbsp + ½ tsp (17.5 ml) kosher salt
1 cup (250 ml) cider vinegar
½ cup (125 ml) granulated sugar
¾ tsp (4 ml) dry mustard
¾ tsp (4 ml) mustard seeds
½ tsp (2.5 ml) ground turmeric
2 large sprigs fresh dill
Instructions
- Preheat barbecue grill to medium-high.
- To make peach and corn salsa, start by grilling corn. Rub cobs with 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil and place on grill, rotating every couple of minutes, until charred in spots, about 10 minutes. Set aside and let corn cool enough to handle.
- Cut corn kernels off cobs and place in a medium bowl along with peaches, jalapeños, red onions, cilantro, lime juice and a good pinch each of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired with additional salt, pepper or lime juice. Set salsa aside.
- Just before ready to serve, rub remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil over halibut fillets and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill fish, flipping once halfway through cooking, until golden brown and just cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes total depending on thickness of halibut. Transfer fillets to a cutting board and sprinkle fillets with a good squeeze of lemon juice.
- To assemble, top bottom of each brioche bun with 2 lettuce leaves, a piece of halibut, a tangle of Zucchini Pickles and a good scoop of peach and corn salsa. Cap off with bun top and serve.
- ZUCCHINI PICKLES
- Using a mandoline, slice zucchini lengthwise into about ¹⁄₁₆-in (1.5 mm) thick slices.
- Place zucchini in a large non-reactive bowl or casserole dish. Add onions and salt and toss gently to combine. Add a couple of ice cubes and cold water to cover. Stir gently to dissolve salt, taking care not to break zucchini pieces. Set aside for about 1 hour, until zucchini feels slightly softened. Drain and pat vegetables dry with a clean tea towel.
- In a small saucepan, whisk vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, mustard seeds and turmeric. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, then cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in dill and let sit until just warm to the touch. If brine is too hot when added to vegetables, it will cook them and make pickled zucchini and onions mushy instead of crisp.
- Transfer dried zucchini and onion pieces to one or two 2-cup (500 ml) canning jars and pour brine overtop. Seal tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 day to allow flavours to mellow. Pickles can be kept in refrigerator for up to 1 week.