Let me apologise for being so quiet on the blog lately with some delicious Thai Fusion Ahi Tuna Burgers. We have just returned from 2 weeks in Kauai (Hawaii), and it was nothing short of amazing. That island is seriously awesome. I had every intention of keeping my posts up to date whilst away, but I got carried away with the whole relaxation and adventuring vibe going on, that I decided to just unplug.
We rented a big house, so the whole extended family could stay together (don’t worry, everyone survived). And the local produce was nothing short of fantastic, so we had some great meals at home, including some amazing tuna burgers made on the grill! We even had access to fresh guava, starfruit, banana and avocado growing right on our property – how awesome is that!
One of the many things I love most about the island (I am trying to convince my husband that we need to move there btw) is how much they are embracing the whole NO GMO movement. There were little signs in every village, on restaurant menus and on pretty much every stall we visited at the local markets. When I asked any questions about the local produce, the NO GMO thing was always one of the big points of pride among the vendors, which was great to see.
Another thing I loved was the fresh fish. I indulged in quite a bit of the local stuff (including Ahi Carpaccio at Tahiti Nui, and tuna burgers from some random hole in the wall – OMG), and was in total seafood heaven. So these Thai Fusion Ahi Tuna Burgers, using fresh Ahi is a tribute to our time in Kauai (I know it’s a thai inspired recipe, and I was in Hawaii…but hey, it works for me).
Oh, and who knew Açaí was so popular in Hawaii (maybe everyone except me?), we indulged pretty much every day – and I have a recipe for an Açaí Bowl here if you would like to be all Hawaiian for a moment. It is delicious.
Have you been to Kauai? Let me know if you loved it as much as I did. I would love to hear what you think. Leave a comment, like on Facebook, tweet on Twitter or pin to Pinterest. Happy eating!
- 1 medium sized cucumber sliced very thinly
- 1/4 red onion sliced very thinly
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp finely chopped thai basil
- 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
- 1 lb fresh ahi tuna sashimi grade if you plan on cooking medium rare
- sesame oil for cooking
- 2 tbsp homemade mayonnaise or store bought if you don't have any
- 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- crushed peanuts to garnish
- leaves lettuce to serve
- Burger buns
-
In a medium bowl combine the coconut sugar with the salt and rice vinegar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cucumber and red onion, stir, and set aside
-
In another medium bowl, combine the minced ginger, garlic, fish sauce, 1tsp coconut sugar, basil and cilantro together. Set aside
-
Chop the tuna into very small chunks. To do this, I cut the tuna into thin slices, stack the slices and slice again, turn the stacks around and cut those slices into cubes. Once they are small like this, it is easy to then chop the tuna until it is quite small, like a mince. Add the chopped tuna to the ginger and garlic mixture and stir well to combine. Pop into the fridge for 20 mins
-
While the mixture is in the fridge, mix together the sweet chilli and mayonnaise and set aside
-
Wet your hands and shape the mixture into burger patties. I got about 6 out of my mixture. Try and have them about 1 inch thick to ensure even cooking.
-
Set your broiler to high. Brush the patties with some sesame oil, and pop onto a baking tray lined with aluminium foil. Pop the burgers under the broiler for about 6 minutes, turning halfway through (this will result in a medium rare burger - so adjust time to your liking)
-
To assemble the burger: spread a layer of sweet-chilli-mayo on your bun, top this with some lettuce leaves, a tuna burger, some cucumber salad (drain the cucumber first), and some crushed peanuts. Enjoy
Sounds like you had a fantastic holiday. I stayed on an avocado farm once and it was fantastic. Love the flavours going on here, just need to think what I can swap the tuna for.
Oh we had an amazing time Choclette! I have never witnessed an avocado tree before – and now I want one 🙂 I think these flavours would work really well with chicken as well if you eat that?
Perfect photos and recipe. I always usd homemade mayonnaise…
Oh thanks for the compliments Sundari – I really appreciate them (especially where photography is concerned 🙂 ) Homemade mayonnaise is the best – so worth the extra effort!
This burger looks EXCEPTIONAL! Phenomenal! Love the photos and all the ingredients that went into creating this recipe. FIVE STARS!!
Haha thanks Levan – love the enthusiasm 🙂
Ahh this is seriously the most perfect burger for me! Im obsessed with ahi tuna and all the wonderful flavors you got going on in this recipe!
Thanks Bethany! I am hugely in love with ahi tuna as well – it is just so easy to work with, and lends itself well to so many flavours!
What a coincidence.. just made fish burgers couple of days ago..
Must try with Thai flavours next time..
You should 🙂 I have to say, I am definitely more partial to fish burgers than say, beef, or chicken!
Looks delicious! Btw I -finally- tried your quinoa/spinach recipe and it was very yummy! I just added some mushrooms as well…(In Belgium, Fall has begun – So, it’s the start of the mushroom season)
Oh I am so glad you enjoyed the quinoa dish Bieke – it is still one of my favourite ‘go to’ dishes when I don’t feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen! Fall is in full swing here as well (at least in terms of food, not weather), so I am totally loving all the mushrooms around!