Tuna Burgers with Dill Olive Mayo

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 tablespoon sliced green olives, minced
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
• 2 cans tuna in water, drained
• 3/4 cup unseasoned Panko bread crumbs
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or microplaned
• 1/2 cup corn, frozen or fresh
• 1/2 cup finely grated carrot
• 1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup minced yellow onion
• 3/4 teaspoon Creole seasoning
• 3 tablespoons olive oil or cooking spray to bake
• Sliced red onion, optional
• Lettuce, optional
• Hamburger buns

Directions

1. Stir together the dill olive mayo first. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and dill, then add the minced olives, lemon juice, and Creole seasoning. Cover the bowl and tuck it into the refrigerator until the burgers are ready for serving.
2. For the tuna mixture, beat the egg and mayonnaise together in a small bowl with a fork. Stir in the tuna. In a separate medium bowl, toss the panko with the garlic, corn, and carrot, then add the red pepper, yellow onion, and Creole seasoning.
3. Scrape the tuna-mayo mixture into the panko mixture and stir until everything is evenly combined.
4. For shaping, scoop a generously filled 1/3 cup measuring cup of the tuna mixture, then pat the mixture into 6 patties.
5. For the oven method, put a large cast-iron skillet in the oven before you turn it on, then heat to 375 degrees F. Once the oven is hot, carefully pull the skillet out with oven mitts; that hot surface is what gives the burgers their seared start.
6. Coat the skillet interior with cooking spray, and spray the tuna burgers on both sides, so they get a fried-style crispness without stovetop frying. Set the patties in the skillet and slide it back into the oven. Bake about 7 minutes, until the undersides look golden brown and crisp.
7. Turn the burgers over and continue baking until the second side is golden, about 7 to 9 minutes more.
8. For the stovetop method, pour 3 tablespoons of oil into a large skillet and set it over medium heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, put the tuna burgers in the pan; give the first side about 3 to 4 minutes, then cook the second side the same way, until the outside is golden brown and crisp. Move them to a paper towel to drain.
9. Pile each burger onto a toasted hamburger bun, adding dill olive mayonnaise plus sliced red onion and lettuce.
10. To work ahead, shape the patties up to 24 hours before cooking. Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you need them. For patties that have already been cooked, warm a teaspoon of oil in a pan over medium heat; once the oil shimmers, add the patties, turn them once, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.