Follow the simple principles of quality meat, cheese and herbs for the perfect patty – and don’t forget a fresh, tangy sauce
I have never seen an Ottolenghi recipe for a burger, be it meaty or vegetarian. How would you construct and garnish your perfect hamburger?
David, Winnipeg, Canada
That’s such a good spot! To be honest, traditional, full-sized burgers are something I tend to seek out from others – passionate people who flip burgers all day, every day – and my must-have condiments for those are proper burger sauce (that is, two parts mustard, one part mayo and one part ketchup), melting American cheese, pickles, raw white onion and iceberg lettuce. And on those rare occasions when I do make a burger at home, I follow similar principles.
Buy the best-quality meat you can afford. I love lamb in my burger patties, but I’ve also been known to use minced turkey thigh. For a lighter, springier patty, breadcrumbs are the obvious choice, but coarsely grated courgette (squeezed to get rid of excess moisture), grated onion and even mashed potato (as in today’s broad bean burger recipe) work really well, too, along with a beaten egg. Cheese such as ricotta, paneer, manouri and feta are also brilliant in a burger, as in the mix for my lamb and oregano meatballs, which can easily be turned into a patty.
Continue reading… Follow the simple principles of quality meat, cheese and herbs for the perfect patty – and don’t forget a fresh, tangy sauceI have never seen an Ottolenghi recipe for a burger, be it meaty or vegetarian. How would you construct and garnish your perfect hamburger?
David, Winnipeg, Canada
That’s such a good spot! To be honest, traditional, full-sized burgers are something I tend to seek out from others – passionate people who flip burgers all day, every day – and my must-have condiments for those are proper burger sauce (that is, two parts mustard, one part mayo and one part ketchup), melting American cheese, pickles, raw white onion and iceberg lettuce. And on those rare occasions when I do make a burger at home, I follow similar principles.Buy the best-quality meat you can afford. I love lamb in my burger patties, but I’ve also been known to use minced turkey thigh. For a lighter, springier patty, breadcrumbs are the obvious choice, but coarsely grated courgette (squeezed to get rid of excess moisture), grated onion and even mashed potato (as in today’s broad bean burger recipe) work really well, too, along with a beaten egg. Cheese such as ricotta, paneer, manouri and feta are also brilliant in a burger, as in the mix for my lamb and oregano meatballs, which can easily be turned into a patty. Continue reading… Food, Chefs, Burgers, Meat, Fish, Seafood, Vegetables, Baking
