Bangkok Fish Burgers with Sweet Cucumber Slaw and Spicy Mayonnaise

Pairs well with:

Gewurztraminer

Hard to pronounce yet easy to drink, this wine combines lychee fruit and white peach flavors with a hint of spice.

Ingredients:

Spicy Mayonnaise:
10 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest

Sweet Cucumber Slaw:
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 English cucumber, julienned
¼ cup minced shallots

Patties:
2 lbs. fresh boneless, skinless halibut
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
1 egg plus 1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1/3 cup sliced scallions
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 ½ teaspoons lime zest
½ teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce
1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Sweet Chili Glaze:
½ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Vegetable oil for brushing the grill rack
6 good quality sesame seed hamburger buns, split
¼ cup chopped unsalted peanuts

Instructions:

Prepare a medium-hot fire on a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.
To make the spicy mayonnaise, mix the mayonnaise, Sriracha, lime juice, and zest together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
To make the sweet cucumber slaw, heat the vinegar and sugar in a small, fireproof saucepan on the grill until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Remove from grill and pour into a medium bowl. Once mixture is cool, add the cucumbers and shallots and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate.
To make the patties, finely chop the halibut or place in a mini food processor and pulse until finely chopped. In a large bowl, mix the red curry paste, egg, egg white, fish sauce, scallions, cilantro, lime zest, and Sriracha together. Add the chopped halibut and mix to distribute the spices. Add the panko breadcrumbs as needed until you have a good consistency for forming into patties, approximately 1 cup. Form into 6 patties, making a slight indentation in the center of the patties so that they will cook evenly. Cover and set aside.
To make the sweet chili glaze, mix the Thai sweet chili sauce and lime juice together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the fish patties patties on the rack, cover, and cook just until opaque throughout, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Brush patties with the glaze as they cook and after removing them from the grill. Place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly during the last 2 minutes of grilling.
To assemble the burgers, spread some spicy mayonnaise on the cut sides of the top buns. Place a patty on each bun bottom and top with a mound of sweet pickled cucumber slaw. Sprinkle each burger with 1/6 of the chopped peanuts. Add bun tops and serve.