Recipe of the day: Mini panko-crumbed fish burgers, pickled carrot and radish with coriander yoghurt

International Burger Day on 28 May is as good a reason as any to celebrate one of the world’s most beloved meal, and an uMhlanga establishment is doing exactly that.

Throughout May, Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom is marking the occasion with a month-long burger celebration across its dining outlets, with offerings ranging from a Nando’s Grande Cheese Burger to a Portuguese-style beef and Chouriço burger at Beira Alta Restauran, and a specially created Durban honey chilli crunch burger featured in conference lunch packages.

The burger’s origins are as layered as its toppings. From Hamburg sausage recipes dating back to 1758 and sandwiches served aboard 19th-century cruise liners, to competing claims from a Danish immigrant in New Haven and a hungry businessman at the 1904 St Louis World Fair, no one can quite agree on who invented it – but everyone agrees it was worth it.

For those who’d rather skip the debate and get straight to the good part, the entertainment complex’s chefs have shared a few crowd-pleasing recipes to try at home.

Prep: ~25 min

Cook: ~15 min

Total: ~40 minutes

Serves: One (yields three mini burgers)

Mini fish fillets

Ingredients:

• 300g Firm white fish (hake), portioned into 3 small fillets
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp cajun spice (optional for a punch)
• ½ Cup flour
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 1 Cup panko breadcrumbs
• Zest of ½ lemon
• Oil for shallow frying

Method:

1. Season fish with salt, pepper, and Cajun spice.
2. Prepare a crumbing station: flour → egg → panko (mixed with lemon zest).
3. Dust fish in flour, dip in egg, then coat in panko.
4. Heat oil in a pan (medium heat).
5. Fry fillets for 3-4 minutes per side until golden and crispy.
6. Drain on a paper towel and season lightly again if needed.

Pickled carrot and radish

Ingredients:

• 1 Carrot, ribbons
• 3-4 Radishes, thinly sliced
• ½ Cup white vinegar
• ½ Cup water
• 2 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• Optional: coriander seeds or chilli flakes

Method:

1. Heat vinegar, water, sugar and salt until dissolved.
2. Pour hot liquid over the carrot and radish.
3. Let pickle for at least 20 minutes (or longer for a stronger flavour).
4. Drain before serving.

Coriander yoghurt sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup plain yoghurt
• ¼ Cup fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt to taste
• Drizzle of olive oil

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together until smooth.
2. Adjust seasoning with salt and lemon juice.
3. Chill until serving.

Assembly

Ingredients:

• 3 Mini brioche buns (lightly toasted)
• 3 Lettuce leaves
• 6 Tomato slices
• 6 Onion ring slices
• 3 Tbsp Mayonnaise
• 2 Cocktail dill cucumbers

Method:

1. Spread coriander yoghurt on the base of each bun.
2. Add fresh lettuce, tomato, sliced tomato, sliced onion and pickles.
3. Add crispy fish fillet.
4. Top with pickled carrot and radish.
5. Add coriander on top of the bun if desired.
6. Close and serve immediately.

Chef’s Tip: Use micro herbs for garnish, plate as a trio and enjoy.

Start with the pickle immediately, since that 20-minute passive window is your free time to make the yoghurt sauce, crumb the fish and get your station ready. By the time you’re done frying, everything else is waiting for you.

To drink: Don Paloma recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 shots Don Julio Blanco
• ¾ shot fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice
• ½ shot fresh-squeezed lime juice
• ½ shot agave nectar (optional)
• A handful of cilantro leaves
• 3 shots of soda water

Garnish

• Cilantro leaves
• Salted grapefruit slice

Method:

1. Add Don Julio, grapefruit juice, lime juice, agave, and cilantro to a cocktail shaker.
2. Fill with ice and shake well.
3. Strain into a glass over fresh ice.
4. Top with soda water.
5. Garnish with cilantro leaves and a salted grapefruit slice.

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Recipes supplied by Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom and Don Julio.