Griddle-Shop Burger Sauce (Scratch Yolk Emulsion)

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The pink sauce that makes a smashburger taste like a smashburger — except built from an egg yolk and oil instead of a jar of mayo. Bloomed paprika and onion powder give it a griddle-toasted depth, pickle brine and finely minced dill pickle give it the crunch and tang, and a whisked-by-hand emulsion makes it thick enough to hold a stripe on a bun without sliding off. Makes about 1½ cups and gets better on day two.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp neutral oil (grapeseed or canola)
• 1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature (pasteurized if you prefer)
• 2 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp dill pickle brine, plus more to taste
• 1 cup neutral oil (grapeseed or canola)
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

• 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1/3 cup dill pickles, minced very fine (about 2 spears)
• 2 tbsp yellow onion, minced very fine
• 2 tsp sweet pickle relish
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Bloom the spices: combine the 3 tablespoons neutral oil, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small skillet or saucepan. Set over low heat and warm, stirring constantly, for 45 to 60 seconds — just until the oil turns deep brick red and smells toasty. Do not let it bubble hard or the paprika will scorch and turn bitter. Immediately scrape into a small bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. This is your flavor oil.
2. Prep the crunch while the oil cools: mince the pickles and onion as fine as you can get them — think 1/8-inch pieces, no bigger. Pile the minced onion in a corner of a paper towel and squeeze firmly to wring out the sharp juice; this keeps the finished sauce from tasting harsh and watery.
3. Start the emulsion: in a medium bowl (metal or glass, narrow rather than wide), whisk together the egg yolk, yellow mustard, and 1 tablespoon pickle brine until smooth and slightly lightened, about 30 seconds. Set the bowl on a damp kitchen towel so it can't skate around.
4. Add the 1 cup neutral oil drop by drop at first — literally 5 or 6 drops, whisk until fully absorbed, repeat. After about 3 tablespoons have gone in, the mixture will look thick, pale, and glossy: the emulsion has taken. Now pour in a thin, steady stream about the width of a pencil lead, whisking constantly, until all the oil is incorporated. Total time: 4 to 5 minutes of steady whisking.
5. Whisk in the cooled bloomed spice oil in the same slow stream. The sauce will turn a deep orange-pink and loosen slightly. Whisk in the sea salt.
6. Fold in the flavor: add the ketchup, minced pickles, squeezed onion, sweet relish, vinegar, sugar, and black pepper. Switch to a flexible spatula and fold until evenly colored — you want visible flecks of pickle, not a purée.
7. Taste and correct. It should read tangy first, then sweet, with a slow warm finish. Too tight or too rich, add pickle brine 1 teaspoon at a time. Too flat, another pinch of salt and a few drops of vinegar. Too sharp, another 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
8. Scrape into a jar, press plastic wrap or a lid on, and refrigerate at least 2 hours before using — the spices need time to hydrate and the pickle bits need to bleed into the base. Overnight is noticeably better. Stir before each use and serve cold on hot burgers so the contrast lands.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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