Walnut, Courgette and Millet Burger

So I've started on the gourmet recipes!

I made the burgers following the recipe as written. I did not use the relish but the Lemon and Mint Labna.

The millet is a great consistency for veggie burgers as getting them to bind is one of the more challenging things. I really liked the idea of cooking it in curry powder and turmeric first. Having said that, I found the amounts in recipe a bit on the subtle side - so, like you, I would want more spice than the author suggests.

The Lemon Mint Labna (I got some fresh mint and added about a tablespoon chopped) and chutney flavours over-powered the flavour of the burger by quite a lot when it was dished. I'm not sure how much that would be remedied by more flavouring in the millet and possibly more seasoning overall. I was possibly a bit light handed on the salt and pepper. Even so, I have a feeling that the burger may work better with a more subtle sauce accompaniment.

It worked great with baked potato - particularly as the potato was in the oven for a long bake as I had to jump out to buy some mint - so the skin was well cooked and nutty.

The recipe suggests that the recipe makes 4 - I have managed to make 6 - so the author must be making some big buggers as mine are not shy.

I'm afraid my camera was acting up tonight so the final picture of the dish is out of focus and a bit rubbish. I did manage to get a couple through the cooking process which may make up for it a bit.

Cooking the grated courgette and chopped mushroom into onion mix - I did do the salting and rinsing thing with the courgette.

Mixing the dry and fried ingredients - it was clear the mixture would bind well even before adding the beaten egg.

I was a good way through the meal before I managed to get the camera to take this! Not great ... sorry.

Blackened Burger

Didn't quite keep to the script this weekend but finally got the burger action going tonight.

Having said I might start with a veggie or fishy option I reverted to type and went for a beef burger instead, mainly because it took a bit less thinking about... a good option after what felt like a long day in the office. I had a go at the Blackened Burger, served with a rocket salad and a salsa that was extremely loosely based on the suggested side of 'pico de gallo'.

The recipe suggests it's a traditional Cajun style burger - a marriage of beef and spicy sausage (I used a hot cooking chorizo from local deli), perked up with some herbs and spices. The book says that in the Deep South a burger will always be well dressed and well seasoned. I opted for a least faff maximum flavour combo with a salsa made from tomato, red pepper, celery, cucumber and a finely chopped green chilli... Even having deseeded the chilli it packed enough punch for the overall effect to be suitably Cajun. The burger itself was not super spicy - the chorizo imparted an impressively smokey flavour to the meat but I think I would maybe use a bit more chilli powder next time (it is almost unheard of for me to adhere to a recipe for spice levels, and this was a reminder of why).

Served the burger on a toasted roll which I think was described as a Viennois in the French place that sells the best bread in Perth. There was a good layer of salsa under the burger, so the jalapeño gave it a boost and for a bit of extra 'dressing' I put a mix of pesto and mayo on the bap as well. This ridiculous cacophony of competing flavours actually combined in a very satisfying way - this is just as well as the freezer is now loaded with spare burgers; spare burgers! Who knew that was even possible?

Sent from my iPad

Sketching with Tofu

So I was doing a course this weekend so there was not so much time for getting into the full on gourmet burger. On Saturday night I came home to about a third of a pack of tofu. I had thought I would stir fry it, but then decided I would do a makey-uppy burger.

I had followed a recipe from my Temple Cuisine cookbook for stuffing Shiitake mushrooms with tofu. That's where some of the tofu had gone already. In this the tofu is blended with ground roasted sesame seeds. The final dish is made tasty with sesame oil, soy sauce and mirin.

I decided to blend the tofu with some ground sesame seeds and addd salt and pepper and a couple of chopped spring onions. I had pressed as much water out of the tofu in a tea towel before blending to help ensure the mixture would bind.

I then coated the mixture - which was pretty wet but I was able to shape it okay - with breadcrumbs. The mixture took the breadcrumbs well and was easier to handle once it was 'dressed'. I then shallow fried the burgers. For serving, I thought the flavour of tofu is too close to bread to make a burger bun at all appealing. So I went for serving it with cous cous and some salad. The salad had a dressing and I poured some sesame oil over the burger to help add some more flavour there.

I think this initial play with the idea could be developed. I found the spring onion a bit overpowering, so lost the sesame seed flavour. I was thinking that adding either sun dried tomatoes or shiitake mushrooms chopped through it may be better than the onion flavour. Unless the onions are fried first maybe to take the edge off them. The sesame oil worked and I wonder about a Japanese flavour inspired burger where the flavours are ginger, shiitake, sesame and maybe something green - maybe even some seaweed? The thing is the tofu is still quite moist, so need to think of things that are not going to bring too much moisture to the mix.

This burger beat the pants off a burger I was served in a restaurant. It was advertised as a tofu burger. I was served with a burger bun and a 1cm deep rectangular slab of tofu sliced off a block. Naked. No marinade. Nothing else except a drizzle of olive oil and some pepper on top. It was about as disappointing as a burger could get.

Anyhow, next time I have some tofu to play with I may develop the theme.

How did you get on this weekend? Did you get to try one of the recipes from the book?

Rice Paper Rolls

As we were talking about the rice paper rolls, I thought I would let you know how it went.

Second attempt was a lot better than the first. They need to be soaked first and the recipe I was following also steamed them afterwards. I think I over-soaked them as they became really, really sticky and difficult to handle when I was folding them over the filling.

When steaming they were on baking paper in the steamer - and they were so sticky that they stuck in places to the baking paper and also to each other.

So it kind of split the rolls and the filling was spilling out. It wasn't finger food, but tasted good so I ate it with a knife and fork.

I was online and found that its a Vietnamese thing. You were right, they do use these rolls for spring rolls - deep fried. I also read that how long you soak them depends on the thickness of the paper - the thicker they are the longer you soak them. I think the fact that I have soaked them too long both times I've done them is not helping my experience of them.

The dipping sauce was quite an important part of the dish. So I may be coming back to you for some of those relish recipes for the burgers!

Guess what I had for dessert afterwards? Holiday lunching :)

Chocolate Trail to Burgers

So a weekend of hillwalking, indulging in chocolate cake and good food has brought us to gourmet burgers. A good burger is hard to beat!

Lets do this. Lets explore the gourmet burger and become better buns in the process!

I will need to get a camera to participate fully on this adventure.

This weekend let the burgering begin.