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Burgers
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RECIPES HARRIET BOUCHER | IMAGES BRYDIE THOMPSON
Burgers are a favourite across the world. They can be adapted to suit every family member; no two homemade burgers have to be the same. Swap out fennel slaw for lettuce, smashed avo for tomato, Brie for Swiss cheese—the possibilities are endless! Quick to whip up, these burgers make an easy summer dinner. Don’t forget to serve with your favourite fries and an icy cold drink.
CHICKEN, MUSHROOM, BACON AND BRIE BURGER
The addition of blitzed mushrooms in this patty is a great way to sneak in some veggies or as a gateway to becoming a mushroom lover. If chicken mince is hard to find, dice chicken thigh and pulse in a food processor.
CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM PATTY
5-6 tbsp olive oil 500g button mushrooms, sliced 500g chicken mince 1 small onion, grated or finely diced 2 eggs, lightly beaten (we used size 7 Otaika Valley Freerange eggs) 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs Salt and pepper
Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan and sauté the mushrooms over med/high heat with a generous pinch of salt until softened and lightly browned, then blitz them in a food processor. Strain excess liquid over a sieve. In a large bowl, combine the chicken mince, strained mushrooms, onion, eggs, Panko, 1½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Don’t be alarmed if the mix seems a bit wet; it holds its shape when cooking. Heat 2–3 tbsp of olive oil in a nonstick pan. Once oil is hot, drop large spoonfuls of mixture into the pan and flatten to 2cm thick. You will need to work in batches. Cook until golden, about 2–3 minutes each side, then transfer to a tray. It makes about 9 patties, so freeze the extras or save them for tomorrow’s lunch.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
1 recipe Chicken and Mushroom Patties 6 slices bacon 1 round of brie, sliced into about 12 pieces 1–2 baby cos 1 red onion sliced into thin rounds 6 burger buns aioli
Heat oven to 200°C. Top patties with sliced brie and bake in the oven 5–10 minutes, until the brie is melted and patties are fully cooked through. Cook bacon to your liking of crispiness. Toast buns in the oven. Spread aioli top and bottom. Place a few cos leaves on the bottom bun, top with the chicken, mushroom and brie patty, red onion, bacon and finally, the top bun.
FISH AND CHIP BURGER WITH FRESH FENNEL SLAW AND TARTARE
Fish and chips are a kiwi classic, so why not put the two in a burger? This burger is fresh, crunchy and zingy, perfect for a weeknight meal or make it into sliders for entertaining a crowd. Using a hotdog bun or baguette fits the length of the fish snugly, but use whatever bun takes your fancy. I like to get my fish from the Raglan fish truck at the Hamilton Farmers Market on a Sunday morning.
FENNEL SLAW
1 fennel bulb 1 red onion 1 green apple ¼ cup Italian parsley leaves, finely chopped juice of 1 lemon 2 tbsp olive oil Very thinly slice the fennel and red onion, using a mandolin if you have one. Cut the apple into thin matchsticks. Add the fennel, red onion, parsley and apple to a bowl. Pour over lemon juice and olive oil with a grinding of salt and pepper and mix. Add more lemon to taste, then set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
TARTARE SAUCE
½ cup mayonnaise 1 small dill pickle, chopped very small (3 tbsp) 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste 1 tbsp capers, chopped 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (or use the fronds from the fennel in the slaw) ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce ½ tsp Dijon mustard salt and fresh ground black pepper Stir the mayonnaise, pickles, lemon juice, capers, dill, Worcestershire sauce and mustard in a small bowl until well blended and creamy. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste then adjust with additional lemon juice, salt, and pepper. For the best flavour, cover and store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
CHIP CRUSTED FISH
6 fillets of white fish (I used gurnard, 1 per burger) salt ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 bag Kettle salt and vinegar chips Preheat oven to 190°C.
Arrange fish on a tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and smear mayonnaise over the top of each fillet. Crush ½–¾ of the bag of chips in a bowl. Cover fish completely with crushed chips (and eat the rest while your fish bakes!). Bake 8–10 minutes depending on thickness of fish, or until it flakes with a fork.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
1 recipe Fennel Slaw 1 recipe Tartare Sauce 1 recipe Chip Crusted Fish 6 hotdog buns or baguette sliced into 10cm lengths Toast the bread in the oven to warm through. Spread tartare on the bottom of the bun, put a handful of slaw down, then place the fish on top. Dollop more tartare on top to finish.
ONION BHAJI AND SMASHED AVO BURGER WITH TAMARIND CHUTNEY
This is my take on a vegan burger. Jenny’s Tamarind Chutney has been a family favourite in my house for as long as I can remember, so it was a must in this recipe! If you’re craving a bit of dairy, add some fried halloumi or a herby yoghurt to this burger. You could also re-create this recipe into a canapé or a slider for summer entertaining.
ONION BHAJIS
¾ cup chickpea flour ½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground turmeric ¼ tsp chilli powder 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander 1 tsp lemon juice 5–6 tbsp water 2 medium onions, thinly sliced oil for frying
Place the chickpea flour, baking powder, salt, cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, chilli, coriander and lemon juice in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add in the water. Once you've got a thick batter, add the onion slices and stir to coat with the batter, or mix with your hands. Heat a large wok on the stove top on a medium heat and add enough oil so that you've got about a 2cm layer of oil. Carefully drop heaped tablespoons of the batter into the hot oil, cooking about 3 bhajis at a time. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side until golden. Remove each bhaji with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Continue until all of your batter is gone. You should get 6 large bhajis out of this.
SMASHED AVO
2 ripe avocados 2 tbsp lime juice 2 tbsp chopped coriander ½ red chilli, finely diced salt and pepper to taste Scoop out avocado into a bowl. Smash roughly with a fork so you still have a bit of texture. Add lime juice, coriander, chilli and salt and pepper. Taste and add more lime/salt/ pepper if needed.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
1 recipe Onion Bhajis 1 recipe Smashed Avo Jenny’s Tamarind Chutney – Available at Vetro Cucumber ribbons Rocket leaves Toast buns in the oven. Spread tamarind chutney on top and bottom. Place a layer of rocket on the bottom bun, then a dollop of smashed avo, an onion bhaji then some cucumber ribbons. Garnish with some extra red chilli and coriander then finish with the top bun.
2B GORDONTON RD, HAMILTON (NEXT TO THE WAYWARD PIGEON) 07 855 3573 | BOOK ONLINE WWW.MOUSEYBROWN.CO.NZ
