Bocuse d’Or winner Ørjan Johannessen presents the Marine Research Burger

orjan — Technician Ragnfrid Mangor-Jensen and marine biologist Arne Duinker both assisted chef Ørjan Johannesen in tasting their way to the final result.
Photo: Erlend A. Lorentzen / Institute of Marine Research

Here’s how you make it!

Published: 09.10.2020 Updated: 21.10.2020 Author: Erlend A. Lorentzen

The Institute of Marine Research (IMR) celebrates its 120th anniversary this year! We are marking the occasion with our own signature dish. Read the story or skip to the recipe!

Developed by a world champion and neighbour

The marine research burger is the creation of Ørjan Johannessen, a former world champion chef. He is the head chef at Bekkjarvik Gjestgiveri in Austevoll, where the IMR also has a research station.

“I think it is important for the raw ingredients to really shine. The great thing about the burger is that the less you garnish it, the better it tastes”, says Johannessen.

The star ingredient of the marine research burger is halibut.

“In fish, all of the flavour characteristics is in the fat. Halibut is one of my favourite fish, and it is also one that the IMR has a close relationship with”, he says.

The ingredients each have a story to tell

Halibut – features on ancient rock carvings, so we know that Norwegians have been eating it for a very long time, and it is highly prized by chefs. The Institute of Marine Research has played a key role in solving the puzzle of how to farm halibut, particularly through the work of our research station at Austevoll. Halibut is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, vitamin D and iodine.

Scallops – in the patty itself, the halibut is mixed with scallop. The scallops add sweetness and consistency, but also represent a step down the food chain: bivalves are so-called low-trophic level species – sustainable resources that humans should eat more of. In spite of their meat being lean, scallops have a high omega-3 content.

Dulse – the red alga dulse is also at the bottom of the food chain. This is a small organism that grows on kelp or in the tidal zone. It adds taste: saltiness, sweetness and the “fifth taste”, umami. Dulse is rich in minerals such as iodine, iron, zinc, potassium and calcium, and of course high in fibre.

Kimchi – a Korean method of fermenting vegetables. Vegetables that you may have been on the point of throwing away can be resurrected with a completely new “personality”. In the marine research burger, their fresh acidity helps to balance the fatty fish and give a slightly zingy taste. Lettuce provides fibre and several vitamins and minerals to our diet.

“We wanted to create a dish that represents everything the Institute of Marine Research stands for. Our juicy anniversary burger beautifully combines the past and the future, as well as being both tasty and healthy”, says Sissel Rogne, the Managing Director of the IMR.

Here’s how you make it!

The amounts in this recipe are enough to make ten burgers – enough for a party, in other words. Adjust the quantities to your needs.

Buns

Brioche burger buns – ideally warm them slightly before serving.

Chilli mayonnaise

3 whole eggs
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons of Sriracha chilli sauce
2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
Around 1 litre of sunflower oil
salt

Blend all of the ingredients except the oil in a food processor.
Gradually add the oil and season with salt; add more chilli sauce if you want it spicier.

Kimchi

5 washed lettuce hearts (halved)
3 cloves of garlic
½ red and green chilli including seeds
50 g ginger
1 shallot
100 ml water
salt – 2% of the total weight of the ingredients (including the lettuce)

Blend the shallots, garlic, ginger and chilli in a food processor with the water and salt.
Combine the blended mixture with the lettuce hearts in a bowl and then pour everything into a vacuum seal bag.
Vacuum out all of the air.
Leave at room temperature for three days until the bag starts to puff up.
Then refridgerate.
Slice the kimchi lettuce into strips before arranging it on the burger.

Breading

Two litres of dulse panko consists of:

1.8 litres of breadcrumbs made from dried white bread without crust
200 ml dulse flakes

You will also need:

1 litre of egg white whisked in a stick blender and sieved (should be clear, with no froth)
½ litre wheat flour

Halibut burgers in dulse breadcrumbs – makes ten

250 g scallop muscles
1,250 g halibut
salt – 1% of the total weight
1 tablespoon dried dulse
black pepper
5 egg yolks

Chop the scallops and halibut into cubes/pieces of approximately ½ cm.
Combine with the remaining ingredients.
Divide by weight into ten burgers.
Make the patties using a burger press or a round mould and put them on baking paper.
Freeze the burgers.
Breading the frozen burgers:
1. Dip the frozen halibut burger in flour and shake off any excess.
2. Dip in egg white.
3. Then dip in dulse panko.
4. Repeat twice more so that the burgers are breaded three times.
Deep fry at 180 degrees Celsius for around 1 ½ minutes until golden brown.
Allow to rest for around 3 minutes.
Reheat in an oven at 200 degrees until the core temperature reaches 45-50 degrees.
Arrange and serve.

Research into halibut farming

The IMR keeps its own broodstock (“mother halibuts”) in large tanks at Austevoll. We perform research on halibut during all of their life stages: from egg to larva to broodstock.
The research done at Austevoll has helped the halibut farming industry to grow.
This growth reflects improving access to juveniles from hatcheries, as well as good methods for producing only female fish. They reach sexual maturity later than the male fish, which stop growing when mature.

The state of the wild halibut in Norway

The halibut stock is in good shape. Numbers vary by region, and they are much higher in the north than in the south.
Our annual coastal survey gives an indication of the size of the younger part of the population north of Stad. We also get data from fisheries.
The population appears to have grown over the past 20 years, before stabilising recently. The annual catch is now around 2.5 thousand tonnes, compared with a few hundred tonnes at the start of the 1990s. Most of the catch is landed north of Stad.
Halibut can grow really big, but the Norwegian Food Safety Authority advises against eating wild halibut that weigh more than 100 kilos. These individuals may have built up too many unwanted substances over the course of their long lives.