Recipe For Fishburgers, Courtesy Of Eric Ripert, That Will Be Served At Bridgehampton School

This is the original fishburger recipe by award-winning chef Eric Ripert of New York restaurant Le Bernardin, which will serve as the blueprint for the Montauk Fishburger to be served at the Bridgehampton School.

Fishburgers With Aioli

(Serves 4)

The Fishburgers:

1/3 cup diced shallot

½ tablespoon minced garlic

½ tablespoon unsalted butter (about ¼ ounce)

18 ounces striped bass fillet ​​

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

½ tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon dry mustard

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 egg yolk, beaten with a fork

Fine sea salt and espellette pepper to taste

1 lemon, cut in half

½ cup panko bread crumbs

¼ cup canola oil

The Garnish:

4 challah or brioche hamburger rolls

¼ cup aioli (¼ cup mayonnaise mixed with 1 small minced garlic clove)

8 oven-roasted tomato pieces (see recipe below)

1 head fennel, shaved very thin and crisped in ice water

1. To make the fish burgers, first sweat the shallot and garlic in butter until they are tender; do not let them color. Allow to cool and reserve. Grind 12 ounces of striped bass through a large die; cut the remaining 6 ounces into medium dice. Place all of the striped bass in a stainless steel mixing bowl. Add the cooked shallot and garlic, parsley, mayonnaise, mustards, baking powder and egg yolk. Mix well and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Form a quarter-sized patty and sauté in a pan; taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Form 4 burger patties with the remaining mixture; dredge each burger in panko bread crumbs, evenly coating each entire burger. Store on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. When ready to cook the burgers, pour 2 tablespoons canola oil into a pan. Heat the pan and gently place the fish burgers in the pan. Cook the fish burgers over medium-high until the first side is golden brown in color. Carefully flip the burgers and finish cooking them in the oven for 2-3 minutes. A metal skewer should be easily inserted into the burger and, when left in for 5 seconds, feel warm when touched to the lip. In the meantime, toast the rolls. Spread 1 tablespoon aioli over the insides of each roll. Place each fish burger on the bottom half of a roll. Top with the shaved fennel and 2 oven-roasted tomatoes. Close the burger and slice in half on the bias, if desired.

The Tomato Confit:

1 tomato, cored and peeled, cut into 10-12 wedges

Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper to season

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºF.

2. Arrange the tomatoes on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

3. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle the thyme leaves over the tomatoes.

4. Place the half sheet tray in a 200°F oven and bake the tomatoes until they look like they’ve collapsed and flattened a bit, as well as taken on a hint of color (about 1 hour).

5. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and let them cool to room temperature.