~ Salmon-Edamame Burger ~
Serves 4

Bright green edamame pumps up the protein in these juicy salmon burgers. You can buy frozen, blanched, shelled edamame at select stores, including Whole Foods. Panko, Japanese bread crumbs, is a modern ingredient, which makes a light, crunchy crust. (The term is a fusion of the French word for bread, “pain” with “ko,” which means “powder” in Japanese.) Unlike the bread crumbs you are probably used to, panko have a texture that is more like flakes than crumbs.You can find panko in the Asian food section of supermarkets, as well as in gourmet food stores and Japanese grocery stores.Enjoy these fish patties drizzled with a little soy and grated daikon.

One 1-inch-long chunk fresh peeled gingerroot
1 cup blanched shelled edamame (thawed, if frozen)
1 pound skinless, boneless salmon fillet, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 tablespoon sake
1 1/2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup panko
1 large egg
4 cups of rice bran oil
4 small sprigs mitsuba or Italian parsley

1. Place the chunk of gingerroot in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until minced, scraping down the sides of the work bowl one or two times, as necessary. Add the shelled edamame and pulse until minced. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
2. Place the raw salmon chunks in the food processor and process until ground. Transfer to the bowl with the edamame mixture, and add the onion, green pepper, sake, soy, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Stir the mixture until well blended.
3. Lightly wet your hands. Form the salmon mixture into 8 patties and set them aside.
4. Put flour on one large plate and panko on another. Beat the egg in a shallow, medium-size bowl. One by one, coat each salmon patty in the flour, then in the beaten egg, and finally in the panko. Gently remove the patty from the panko and press it between your hands.
5. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet and bring it to 340∞F. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the oil with a panko flake. If the panko flake rises and immediately turns golden, then the oil is hot enough. Gently lower the salmon patties into the oil, and fry for 2 minutes on each side, or until nicely golden brown. Remove the patties from the oil and place on a metal rack to drain excess oil.
6. To serve, lay out 4 plates and arrange 2 patties on each plate. Garnish with the mitsuba (or the Italian parsley).


Excerpted from Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat by Naomi Moriyama and William Doyle. Copyright © 2005 by Naomi Moriyama and William Doyle .