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"OTCC - BBQ Chipotle Corn Burgers and Nova Scotia Grilled Halibut with Strawberry Salsa"
Posted by PepeLePew13 on 07-09-10 at 07:10 PM
That's right... two recipes this time around!

Actually, there's a third one as the chipotle mayo can be used for other foods (sandwiches, chicken on a baguette, etc.).

I saw that there were some who were literally sweating in their households and were hoping for a BBQ recipe so they didn't have to do any cooking indoors. At the same time, I only planned this trip to Nova Scotia a couple weeks ago after my father's health forced a change in our plans to go to Ireland in August. Rather than swap my turn in the OTCC with someone else ... why not include a typically Nova Scotian recipe!

Disclaimer: I'm allergic to fish, so while I prepared the halibut dish, I have no idea what it tasted like. I did put the salsa on the pork chops that I had instead, while my parents gobbled down the halibut. They're still alive 24 hours later, so I suppose that's a good thing ...

Here we go:

BBQ Chipotle Corn Burgers


Ingredients

Chipotle Mayonnaise
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, puréed
2 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt


Corn Salsa
Corn kernels
Sliced bell pepper
Splash of lemon juice
Olive oil
Sea salt


Burgers
12 ounces or 750 grams or 1-1/2 pounds ground beef chuck (this makes 6 decent-sized patties, adjust accordingly based on how many you want)
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of ground cumin


Toppings
Ripe avocado
Fresh cilantro
Cheese (I used monterey jack cheese here)
Other items you may like such as onions, tomatoes or lettuce


Got everything now? Time to mix and cook!

First, prepare the chipotle mayonnaise.
Chop finely or purée the chipotle chile - I used about 6 or 7 chiles and it seemed moderately spicy but with not much lingering effects, so adjust based on your preferences or tolerance. If you have low tolerance for hot spices, I believe 2 or 3 would still be enough to add flavour but with only a little zing on the tongue.
Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Put into the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.


Before mixing


After mixing


Next... I like making this corn salsa as I think it's a nice complement to the chipotle mayo. The corn salsa is entirely optional but if you can, don't skip out on the chipotle mayo.

Some people like their salsa to be cool and uncooked, but the version I'm including here is where the corn and bell peppers are blackened then stored in the fridge to cool.

Cut the sliced bell peppers in a julienned way.
Blacken the corn and sliced bell peppers in a frying pan with a splash of olive oil, add in a bit of salt and pepper, keep it moving around so it doesn't burn but allow to become browned, about 5-6 minutes total.
Put into the fridge in a bowl.


Now that the mayo and salsa are in the fridge, cooling ... let's work on the burgers. You can add extra flavours or fillings into the burgers if you want, but here I've kept the burgers relatively simple because of all the extras I'm adding on top. Pene and her son decided to have a burger with onion mix added in, so you will see that in the picture below. (To make onion burgers on its own, just take the amount of ground beef I listed in the ingredients above, add in an envelope or pouch of Knorr's or Lipton's Onion Soup Mix, mix into patties)

Tip 1: Try not to over-handle the ground beef - it makes the burgers less juicy and tougher.
Tip 2: Make an indentation in the center of the patty to keep it flat while cooking. Otherwise, it'll look like an egg by the time it's cooked.

In a bowl, add in a splash of salt and sprinkle some ground cumin. Form into a ball, then shape into a few 3/4 inch thick patties.


The one with ground cumin is on the left, the onion soup mix one is on the right.

Preheat grill to medium-high, brush the grates and burger with canola oil.
Season the patty with ground cumin and grill about 4-6 minutes per side at medium heat. You know your BBQ, so if there's no risk of flare-ups, you could cook at a higher heat for less time (4 mins per side). Top with cheese if desired - I used monterey jack cheese.


Toppings:

In this picture, I've got onions, tomatoes, monterey jack cheese, fresh cilantro, chipotle mayonnaise, corn salsa, and avocado.

For my burger, as you see in the second picture below, I put on the chipotle mayo on the bottom bun, then four thin slices of avocado, a few sprigs of cilantro, the burger, two thick slices of monterey jack cheese, and topped off with corn salsa.

Nova Scotia Grilled Halibut with fresh Strawberry Salsa

I'm in Halifax for two weeks, so I've got to offer something that is savoury from this area, no?

Ingredients

Salsa
1 pint (half litre) fresh strawberries, cut in chunks
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh chopped cilantro
3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
1/2 tsp (2 ml) coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp (2 ml) freshly ground pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 lime and 1/2 medium-size orange

Fish
6 x 8 oz (200-225 g) fresh halibut fillets (haddock is a suitable option if no halibut)
Olive oil


First, mix all of the salsa ingredients together in a bowl. Put into refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Next, in a frying pan, heat olive oil (about two tbsp) on high; sear halibut for 2 minutes on each side. Place halibut in a casserole dish and put into 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 minutes.

Top with chilled salsa and serve immediately.

Table of contents
Messages in this discussion
"RE: OTCC - BBQ Chipotle Corn Burgers and Nova Scotia Grilled Halibut with Strawberry Salsa"
Posted by Penelope Le Pew on 07-09-10 at 08:27 PM
Strawberry Salsa! Yum!

Miss you Pepe and lil boys. Look forward to see you guys tomorrow afternoon!



"RE: OTCC - BBQ Chipotle Corn Burgers and Nova Scotia Grilled Halibut with Strawberry Salsa"
Posted by qwertypie on 07-09-10 at 10:07 PM
This looks yummy and since it is hot here (but not Chicago hot)this is the perfect excuse to get Mr. Qwerty to fix up the grill so I don't have to heat up my kitchen.

Can't wait to try it!

"Quick question"
Posted by IceCat on 07-10-10 at 03:40 AM

Does the halibut have to be grilled in Nova Scotia or can I just use some Nova Scotia Halibut and grill it anywhere?
"RE: Quick question"
Posted by PepeLePew13 on 07-11-10 at 08:38 AM
*grin*

I'm sure some of the Saudi sheiks have flown in a Nova Scotia halibut or two in their lives.

"RE: OTCC - BBQ Chipotle Corn Burgers and Nova Scotia Grilled Halibut with Strawberry Salsa"
Posted by Tummy on 07-10-10 at 08:45 AM
Your pics are great! Can't wait to try both recipes.

I don't know if I can get halibut but if not I'm going to go with salmon.

This will probably be a next weekend meal.

"RE: OTCC - BBQ Chipotle Corn Burgers and Nova Scotia Grilled Halibut with Strawberry Salsa"
Posted by PepeLePew13 on 07-10-10 at 09:10 AM
I'm not sure if salmon would fit with the salsa (based on what others have told me about the taste of salmon in the past), so maybe see if haddock is an option instead.

Of course, you know better than I do about what taste matches which fish, etc...

"just for the halibut"
Posted by Karchita on 07-10-10 at 03:02 PM
Cod makes a good substitute for halibut.


Bouquet by c2p

"RE: just for the halibut"
Posted by qwertypie on 07-11-10 at 02:42 AM
How about Basa fillets? We've never tried them.
"RE: just for the halibut"
Posted by Karchita on 07-12-10 at 00:17 AM
*head tilt*

I've never heard of Basa fillets.


Bouquet by c2p

"RE: just for the halibut"
Posted by qwertypie on 07-12-10 at 01:36 AM
Supposedly they are the vietnamese cousins to catfish. I don't know much about them, I see them in the store all the time. Perhaps they go by another name?
"RE: OTCC - BBQ Chipotle Corn Burgers and Nova Scotia Grilled Halibut with Strawberry Salsa"
Posted by Silvergirl1 on 07-10-10 at 05:16 PM

Pepe, that all looks so yummy and fresh! I just have to try that strawberry salsa. We don't like avocado or chipotle, though, so I may substitute something else.

Your pictures are great!



An IceCat original, 2009

"Just for you, SG..."
Posted by PepeLePew13 on 07-11-10 at 08:36 AM
(and whoever else wants to try different flavours of mayo)

Here's some flavoring ideas for mayo - once you've had different flavors, it's hard to go back to plain ol' mayo.

Mango Chutney Mayonnaise
1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons chopped mango chutney
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon snipped fresh chives

Cilantro Mayonnaise
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste


This one came recommended from my stepmother in Halifax, said it's great with burgers (I've never tried this, but definitely will after seeing this, yum yum):

Blueberry Mayonnaise
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup low acid blueberry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper (use white pepper if you have it)
1-1/4 cups mild olive oil

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, place egg, egg yolk, Dijon mustard, blueberry vinegar, salt, and pepper. Process for 30 seconds until well combined. Turn on the food processor and drizzle the olive oil down the chute in a slow steady stream until incorporated.
**Do not over-process or the mayonnaise will break down.**

Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator.

Use as a condiment or salad dressing.

Yield: about 2 cups

Yup, definitely gonna try this for sure the first time I have a BBQ back home! (there isn't a BBQ here at my dad's place)

"RE: Just for you, SG..."
Posted by qwertypie on 07-11-10 at 12:35 PM
These all look fantastic. We are not big mayo fans, but would definitely go for some with some more zing
"Wheee!"
Posted by qwertypie on 07-11-10 at 02:49 AM
We tried the chipotle burgers tonight and they were a big hit. I made them slider sized (but regular thickness), because Mr. Qwerty brought slider buns from the store.
I mixed the hamburger meat with bread crumbs and beaten egg because I was worried about the small size breaking apart on the grill.
The disadvantage to the mini burgers was that it was hard to pack all the yummies on it, but we had fun trying various combinations

Thanks Pepe! We are going to try the fish recipe in the next few days.

"RE: OTCC - BBQ Chipotle Corn Burgers and Nova Scotia Grilled Halibut with Strawberry Salsa"
Posted by Puffy on 07-12-10 at 02:19 AM
Fantastic pictures. You put a lot of work into this and it shows.




Courtesy of the Cap'n


"RE: OTCC - BBQ Chipotle Corn Burgers and Nova Scotia Grilled Halibut with Strawberry Salsa"
Posted by Tummy on 07-12-10 at 06:27 PM
I was reading over the recipe getting my shopping list together and now I want to know what constitutes grilling to you Canucks.

Shouldn't that be Nova Scotia Pan Seared Halibut with Strawberry Salsa?

"Wish me luck"
Posted by Snidget on 07-15-10 at 05:56 PM
Strawberry salsa chilling

Fish in the oven. I had some Cod in the freezer and I'm using it. The Halibut at the store was frozen anyway, and kinda pricey.

"RE: Wish me luck"
Posted by Snidget on 07-15-10 at 07:05 PM
Turned out good. The cod is mild enough that it made a good base. The citrus keeps the strawberries from being too sweet in this and I was surprised how well the cilantro went with the strawberries as well.

I may have to try some cilantro in a fruit salad, might add a nice savory note to those.

"RE: OTCC - BBQ Chipotle Corn Burgers and Nova Scotia Grilled Halibut with Strawberry Salsa"
Posted by MKitty on 07-16-10 at 05:01 PM
Wow!!! This looks crazy-good Pepe...cannot WAIT to try it this weekend!!!


Summarized by the Capn!

"RE: OTCC - BBQ Chipotle Corn Burgers and Nova Scotia Grilled Halibut with Strawberry Salsa"
Posted by weltek on 07-27-10 at 01:42 PM
Given that Nolay doesn't like fish, I waited until I was home alone. A big lunch was just consumed! I didn't feel like going to a grocery store, so I scrounged around the kitchen. I subbed basil for the cilantro, as my basil plant is out of control. I used frozen strawberries because it's what I had on hand. Worked fine, but some fresh, ripe strawberries would've made it better. I had tilapia on hand, so that is what I used. I'll make this again. It was good!


-A Tribetastic Creation

"Part 2"
Posted by qwertypie on 07-31-10 at 10:15 PM
Wow the fish (we tried the basa fillets) was a big hit with Mr. Qwerty and the DDs. I appreciated how fast the prep and cooking was and how light and 'unfishy' the aromas were. They have requested that this recipe be put in the rotation. And the salsa is subtle , so it is best paired with a lighter fish.

Thanks again, something I never would have tried on my own.