Bangin’ Burgers
Makes: 4 large or 8 sliders
Takes: 15 mins to 30 mins
I love a good burger. I like to use lamb or beef if I'm going classic but turkey mince is a great choice if I fancy lowering the fat a little. And you can pretty much add anything you like to add flavour and texture. Mine is full of easy-to-find ingredients, and a touch of spice to give it a little more bang!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil, I like rapeseed oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 fat clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
few sprigs of rosemary, or your favourite herb
500g lean lamb/beef/turkey mince
1 tablespoon tamarind chutney/mango chutney (optional)
1 egg
good pinch of salt & black pepper
50g cheese (cheddar or blue cheese) cut into small cubes (optional)
4 - 8 burger/slider buns, lightly toasted
lettuce, onions, fried bacon, relish etc. to serve
Method
Heat half the oil in a pan and fry the cumin seeds until light golden brown.
Stir in the spring onions, garlic and chilli.
After a minute or so stir in the smoked paprika and rosemary. Stir and turn off the heat after 30 seconds. Leave the mixture to cool a few minutes.
In a large bowl mix together the mince, chutney (it will add tonnes of flavour but you can leave it out if you don't fancy it) and spring onion mixture.
Crack in the egg and season well with salt and pepper. Mix well
Grease your hands lightly with oil and form burger shapes using the mixture. You can make 4 large burgers out of this amount or 8 mini sliders.
If you are adding cheese then make a large dip in the centre of each burger and fill with a tablespoon of cheese. Wrap some more meat around the outside so it is encased in the middle.
Place on a plate and wrap in cling film before popping in the fridge to relax for 15 minutes or so.
Gently heat up the remaining oil and fry the burgers for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked all the way through. Remember that the flatter they are, the quicker they will cook. If you find they have browned too much and still not fully cooked through then pop in a moderate preheated oven for a few minutes to finish cooking.
Serve simply the classic way with a toasted bun, salad, crispy bacon and your favourite relish.
