Marcus' Slammin' Salmon Burgers with Melissa's Roasted Poblano and Artichoke Spread
Burgers by Marcuse Weiner,
Spread by Melissa Norris
Salmon Burgers
1 1/2 -pound skinless salmon, ground
1 1/2 tbs prepared horseradish
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup red pepper finely chopped
1/2 cup green pepper finely chopped
1/2 cup yellow pepper finely chopped
1/4 cup green onion finely chopped
1/4 cup celery finely chopped
2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
3 tbs bread crumb
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Form into 8 burgers. Sauté burgers in olive oil in non-stick pan on the stove top for approximately 15 minutes, flipping regularly. Another option is to bake them at 350 for 15 minutes, flipping halfway. Extra burgers can be wrapped and frozen.
Roasted Poblano and Artichoke Spread
2 large poblano peppers,
seeded, quartered and roasted
1 small Vidalia onion, quartered and roasted
1 small garlic cluster, roasted
1/2 can artichoke hearts, finely chopped
1-8 oz package of cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
4 oz muenster cheese, shredded
Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients in a pie dish and heat until bubbling at 350 degrees, about 20 minutes. Spread an even layer on the bottom of a toasted hamburger bun, top with salmon burger followed by thinly sliced green onion.
Fish Alaska Magazine’s Best Smoked Salmon Contest
Enter to win Fish Alaska magazine’s Best Smoked Salmon contest this spring. Fish Alaska staff has been preparing to launch this exciting contest and one winner is going to take home more than $10,000 in prizes including a 3 day trip to Alaska Sportsman’s Bear Trail Lodge on the Naknek for the winner and a guest. They’ll fish with famed guide Nanci Morris and be flown to King Salmon and back by PenAir. It’s a beautiful lodge on a world class river and one lucky smoked salmon master is going to have the time of their life all due to their serious salmon smokin’ skills.
Everybody and their brother thinks their smoked salmon is the best and that is why the winner will also receive a Minipack MVS31 commercial grade vacuum sealer provided by Alaska Butcher Supply in Anchorage. The One who is crowned our King of Smoked Salmon surely would need a sealer of this stature for the volume of fish one must smoke and package in order to be Alaska’s most famous salmon smoker.
Notably this winner will be an accomplished angler as part of this contest is to get knee deep with the best of them and catch fresh Alaskan salmon using locally purchased sport fishing gear. That is why our winner so richly deserves the $2,000 Sportsman’s Warehouse gift card also found in his or her prize package.
The winner will most likely be an avid Fish Alaska reader as one would have to be strong in the ways of the Alaska fish Jedi to obtain a seat in the 64-contestant contest. Therefore the winner will also receive lifetime subscriptions to Fish Alaska and Hunt Alaska magazines.
How The Contest Works
If you are interested in entering, go to fishalaskamagazine.com and click on the graphic that looks a little like the ad on the inside front cover of this issue. There you’ll find the official entry form to complete and submit your smoked salmon recipe including the brine and process. You have April, May and June of 2011 to get this done. If you are one of the 64 chosen we will call and see if you can attend a pre-seating at Sportsman’s Warehouse where you will meet your competition. For five weeks in July and August we will narrow down the smokers from 64 to 32 to 16 to four and eventually to one winner. Contestants will win prizes along the way at each level, including Fish Alaska’s official Smoke ‘Em if You Got ‘Em 2011 contest long sleeve t-shirt provided by Stellar Designs.
If you are selected to participate, you and your support team will attend the events at Rumrunners in Anchorage on July 13, 20, 27, Aug 4 and 11, all Wednesdays from 3 to 5 pm. We will have drinks and food along with Alaska’s popular radio DJs Bob and Mark from KWHL 106.5. We will celebrate Alaskan smoked salmon while the judges, which include Alaskan Chef Al Levinsohn from What’s Cookin’? and Fish Alaska and Hunt Alaska’s Publishers, Melissa Norris and Marcus Weiner, figure out who makes Alaska’s Best Smoked Salmon.
Should you become one of the 64 contestants you will supply a taste of your salmon to many hundreds of people at five events this summer. Seems like a lot of work, but if you’re a salmon smoking machine and you want to win these great prizes and get featured in Fish Alaska magazine for everyone to know that you are the originator of Alaska’s best smoked salmon, you better sharpen your pencil and start putting that smoking recipe from memory to paper. Good luck!
If you don’t smoke salmon, but you love to eat it, then you can join us at Rumrunners on the dates above and as an audience you’ll test the salmon and help choose the winner. Donations are being accepted for the Renewable Resources Foundation. You’ll have a chance to win great door prizes, meet our magazine staff, eat great food and taste test some Smoked Salmon Vodka made by Alaska Distillery all while being entertained by Bob and Mark and eating lots of smoked salmon.
Burgers by Marcuse Weiner,