For The Tenderest Fish Burger, Reach For This Cheap Fish

At their best, fish burgers pack everything wonderful about delicate, flavorful, crispy fried seafood within the convenient trappings of a traditional burger. Unfortunately, as our ranking of 10 fast food fish sandwiches demonstrates, not all of them can promise that. Even when preparing a fish burger yourself, there are numerous potential pitfalls, such as the chosen fish lacking the right texture, or simply being too expensive. For a tender fish burger that won't hit you hard in the wallet, it would be a good move to consider the humble hake.

While hake is popular in Spain and Portugal, its fans in the United States and Britain often argue that hake doesn't get the credit it deserves. It's first advantage is versatility — hake can generally be used in any fish burger recipe that calls for whitefish, and cod in particular. This is unsurprising, as hake is a close relative of the cod, and a dozen species of hake — known as the family of Merlucciidae — can be found around the world. Though there are variations in taste and texture between the different kinds of hake, all share a taste similar to cod, but milder and somewhat sweet, along with softer flesh and smaller flakes — all qualities that will keep your burger tender.

The relatively low cost of hake is also in its favor. While the wholesale price of frozen hake has experienced some volatility in recent years, and as of this May, the price of Pacific hake hit record heights, it is nonetheless remains less expensive than alternatives like cod or pollock, as well as being more sustainable.

Now that you've procured some hake, how should you go about making your burgers? As previously mentioned, you should be safe following pretty much any fish burger recipe that requires whitefish, but a basic approach would be to cut your skinless, boneless hake fillets into small pieces, then roughly chop. Combine with your preferred binding agent — as with many recipes for fish or crab cakes, egg and mayonnaise are popular choices — along with any other complementary seasonings or ingredients your prefer, such as diced capers, breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, or cayenne pepper, then mold the mixture into patties. Refrigerate the patties for 1-8 hours to help them firm up, then fry in an oiled skillet until golden-brown and cooked through (you can use a good meat thermometer to make sure they have reached a safe temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit). 

Alternatively, if you want to bring a real fish-and-chips vibe to your burgers, you could dip them in batter them once they come out of the refrigerator, then deep-fry them (in which case, check out our recipe for an easy, egg-free beer batter). What condiment or other toppings to serve with your hake burger is a matter of personal taste, but it's hard to go wrong with a classic tartar sauce, a batch of which can easily be whipped up with mayonnaise, finely diced dill pickles, lemon juice, dried dill, and salt.