Kamikaze Sliders With Kickin’ Wasabi Apple Slaw and Shiitake Duxelles

Pairs well with:

Sauvignon Blanc

With hints of passion fruit, melon, and citrus, this wine beckons you to kick back and find a perfect porch swing.

This is a tweaked version of a recipe I’ve been making for a few years. I was inspired by a spicy tuna sushi roll with wasabi mayo and tried to translate the flavors into mini-burger or slider. If you want to serve these as a meal they’re great; otherwise they are awesome as appetizers too. A perfect combination of spicy, sweet, salty, tangy and umami (the duxelles just elevate the burgers so much!), with a little bitterness from the arugula. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the Kickin’ Wasabi Apple Slaw:

1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon wasabi paste
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
4 cups finely shredded napa cabbage
1/3 cup finely chopped green onion
1 medium tart apple (such as Granny Smith), cored, grated with skin on
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds

For the Shiitake Duxelles:

10 ounces shiitake mushroom caps
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons finely minced shallots
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc
2 teaspoons ponzu (Japanese citrus-soy sauce)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Kamikaze Sliders:

2 pounds ground chuck
3 sheets nori (toasted seaweed), finely crumbled
1 teaspoons sriracha chili sauce
3 tablespoons cup Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

vegetable oil (for brushing the grill rack, approximately 3 tablespoons)
18 King’s Hawaiian Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, split
1 cup baby arugula, packed

Instructions:

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

To prepare the slaw:

In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, wasabi paste and sesame oil. In a large bowl, combine napa cabbage, green onion and grated apple. Add mayonnaise mixture to cabbage mixture and toss until well combined. Add black sesame seeds and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To prepare the duxelles:

Coarsely chop or slice the shiitake mushroom caps and place in the bowl of a food processor. Process mushrooms until finely minced (scraping down the inside of the bowl as needed). Set aside.

In a large, flameproof sauté pan, heat olive oil and butter together on a medium-high grill until butter melts. Add shallots and ginger and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add minced mushrooms and cook, stirring, until almost all of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc and ponzu and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. Add heavy cream and pepper and cook until the mixture resembles a thick paste. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.

To prepare the slider patties:

In a large bowl, combine ground chuck, nori, sriracha, Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc, soy sauce, onion powder and garlic powder, handling mixture as little as possible. Divide into 18 equal portions and form into patties. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Brush the preheated grill rack with oil. Grill patties over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes per side, or until desired doneness is reached. During the last few minutes of cooking, place rolls, cut sides down, around the edges of the grill until lightly toasted.

To assemble the sliders:

Spread the cut side of the roll bottoms with duxelles. Add a few baby arugula leaves. Place patties on the roll bottoms and top with the slaw, then add the roll tops.