Garden Turkey Burgers

There is only one way to cook these, and that's on an outdoor grill: charcoal grill, gas grill, hibachi....doesn't matter.  In fact, I've cooked these on both a charcoal and gas grill; but don't attempt to skillet-fry them.  It just doesn't work well. The original recipe called for them to be broiled.  That doesn't work nearly as well nor do they taste as good as rendering them over an open flame.

My Number One Fan found this recipe in the mid-'90s and made a copy of it directly from the recipe book or magazine it came from.  The recipe has survived but there is no identifying text that indicates from where it originated; but we've made this recipe dozens of times and they are a delicious alternative to beef burgers on the grill.

I have a few tips for you after thirty years' experience making this dish:

• You will need a grill topper; the kind that has little holes.  If you try to cook these burgers over the typical grates of a gas or charcoal grill, you will lose much of it to the netherworld of the fiery, under-grate abyss below. If you grill outdoors a lot, you should invest in one of these grill toppers, anyway, because they come in handy for all sort of foods, mainly veggies or seafood, that have a tendency to slip through the grates.  There are also disposable grill toppers made of aluminum that can be easily bought online.
•  You cannot chop your veggies too finely.  Even if you buy pre-shredded carrots, take the time to cut them down into tinier pieces.  If your veggies are too large, the burger tends to fall apart on the grill because of the water they release. My Number One Fan uses a small food processor to ensure this step is mastered. In addition to chopping your veggies very finely, don't exaggerate the portions of them given in this recipe.  A quarter cup isn't very much, and if you overdo the veggie content within the burger, it will impart too much water and again, the patty will fall apart.
  
• Finally, make sure your grill is screaming hot.  Because these burgers have almost no fat in them, they will stick quickly on a cold grill.  You want them to sear almost instantly.  Hedge your bet by using some non-stick grill spray, like, Pam Grilling High Heat Formula.   But spray it on a very hot grill topper at the last second before you put the burgers down.
  

Ingredients
1 lb fresh ground turkey breast
1 egg white
1/4 cup bread crumbs (like, Progresso)
1/4 cup shredded carrots, very finely chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, very finely diced
1/4 cup sweet or red onion, very finely diced
1/2 tsp smoked salt (like, San Francisco Salt Company Cherry Wood)
1/8 tsp Worcestershire flavored black pepper
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (like, the Kraft green can)

The Recipe
Add the egg white and bread crumbs to a mixing bowl and using a wire whisk, mix them together thoroughly.

Add the carrots, bell pepper and onion and stir everything together so the veggies are evenly distributed.

Crumble the ground turkey all over the surface of the vegetable mixture.  Sprinkle the salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese all over the top.

With wet hands, mix all the ingredients together so that the veggies and bread crumbs are evenly distributed within the ground turkey.  The mixture will come together in a cohesive ball.  Flatten it out and divide it into four equal parts.

Again, with wet hands, pick up each quarter part of the mixture and form into a patty that is about 1/2-inch thick.  Put a sheet of wax paper on a platter, and let the turkey patties rest in the fridge, covered with more wax paper, for an hour before grilling.

Put the patties down on a very hot grill as mentioned above, treated with high-heat non-stick grilling spray.  Cook for 4-5 minutes on the first side, slip an cook another 3-4 minutes.

For a little extra flavor, you can baste the burgers as they cook in a sauce of 1/2 Italian salad dressing (like, Newman's Own Classic Oil & Vinegar) and 1/2 barbecue sauce (like, Stubb's).  Be careful in its application because the oil in the salad dressing will flare up quickly.  But, that's exactly what you want to impart that delicious flame-kissed flavor of an outdoor grilled burger.

Serve on a bun with dressings and toppings to your liking.