Lemongrass & Ginger Turkey Burgers

Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve the buns. Thinly slice the sweet potatoes into rounds. Cut off and discard the ends of the radishes; halve lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Cut off and discard the ends of the lemongrass; peel away and discard the fibrous outer layers until you reach the pliable white core. Mince the core. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Roughly chop the cilantro leaves and stems. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Using the flat side of your knife, smash until it resembles a paste (or use a zester). In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise and as much of the garlic paste as you'd like; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the sweet potatoes on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single, even layer. Roast, stirring halfway through, 18 to 20 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven.

While the sweet potatoes roast, in a bowl, combine the radishes, mirin, vinegar, and half the sesame oil; season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes.

While the radishes marinate, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the lemongrass and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Transfer to a medium bowl. Wipe out the pan.

While the radishes continue to marinate, to the bowl of cooked aromatics, add the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, and remaining sesame oil; season with salt and pepper. Gently mix to combine. Using your hands, form the mixture into four ½-inch-thick patties. Transfer to a plate. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the patties and cook 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate and set aside in a warm place.

Working in batches, add the buns, cut side down, to the pan of reserved fond. Toast on medium-high 1 to 2 minutes per batch, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a clean, dry work surface. Leaving the marinated radishes in the bowl, drain off and discard the marinating liquid. Add half the cilantro. Stir to thoroughly combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread a layer of the garlic mayonnaise onto the toasted bun bottoms. Top with the cooked patties and radishes. Complete the burgers with the bun tops. Divide the burgers and roasted sweet potatoes among 4 dishes. Garnish the sweet potatoes with the remaining cilantro. Enjoy!