The humble burger gets a makeover.
We have been developing our barbecue sauce this summer and our testing ground has been at staff meals, usually on the burgers that are frequently served. We are close to finalising the sauce recipe, with just a little tinkering required, but in the process our burgers have also been refined, and we have a deeper appreciation for the sheer simplicity of the humble patty.
This delightful dish is perfect for an easy lunch or to eat while the barbecue heats up. The flavours are clean and fresh, with just enough acid to perk up the taste buds and pucker the cheeks. Use an oily fish if you can, or something firm such as groper or bluenose.
Pickled Fish with Cannellini Bean Salad, Basil and Tomato
BEAN SALAD
400g can of cannellini beans
2 garlic cloves
salt and pepper
4 red cocktail tomatoes
4 yellow cocktail tomatoes
basil leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
pickled fish
180g fish fillets
50ml cider vinegar
2 lemons
1 bay leaf
1 small carrot
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 stalk celery
2 button mushrooms
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp olive oil
some chopped chives
Rinse the beans under cold running water then drain. Finely chop the garlic. Tip the beans into a bowl with the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cut the tomatoes in half and add to the bowl. Tear the basil leaves and scatter through the beans, add the olive oil and gently toss together.
Thinly slice the fish fillets, lie them in a stainless steel bowl and place in the refrigerator. Pour the vinegar and the juice from one of the lemons into a saucepan with ½ a cup of water. Add the bay leaf. Finely chop the carrot, onion and garlic. Chop the celery and mushrooms. Add to the pan and bring to a simmer. Add the sugar and olive oil and simmer for 3 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Peel the skin from the remaining lemon, remove the segments from between the membranes and stir gently through the marinade. Pour over the fish, sprinkle with the chopped chives and leave to marinate for 30 minutes before serving.
Serves 2.
Burgers should be so fragile as to practically fall apart as they cook. If you need help to bind them, use breadcrumbs rather than flour.
Chicken Burger with Roast Peppers, Garlic and Capers
CHICKEN BURGERS
1 clove garlic
400g free-range chicken mince
3 spring onions
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp black olive tapenade
2 sprigs tarragon
2 sprigs parsley
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
vegetable oil for frying
2 burger buns
salad leaves
roast peppers
2 red peppers
vegetable oil, for grilling the peppers
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp capers, rinsed and drained
4 stalks chervil
4 basil leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Chop the garlic and mix with the minced chicken. Thinly slice the white end of the spring onion and a couple of centimetres of the green, and add to the chicken with the lemon zest and tapenade. Chop the leaves of the tarragon and parsley and stir into the chicken along with the breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper, then form thick burgers. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a high heat and brown the burgers on both sides. Check they are cooked right through before removing them from the frying pan. Serve with a grilled burger bun and salad leaves.
Heat the grill. Halve the peppers and remove the seeds. Brush the skin of the pepper with a little oil and grill until the skin turns black. Wrap the peppers in old newspaper until cool enough to handle. Wipe the blackened skin from the peppers using a damp cloth. Slice the peppers into thick pieces and put into a mixing bowl. Finely chop the garlic and add to the peppers. Mix in the capers, chop the chervil and basil leaves and add to the bowl with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season and serve with the burgers.
Serves 2.
“Salmon burger” isn’t a very handsome title for these fabulous fish patties. Asian flavourings work well with salmon, so I add lime and ginger. Spring onions hold the salmon and potato together and make a more exciting fish cake. Lamb’s lettuce is also called corn salad or mache. It’s delicate, tender and bruises easily. Butterhead will suffice as a replacement.
Salmon Cakes with Lamb’s Lettuce, Parsley and
Gherkin Salad
SALMON CAKES
300g potatoes
300g salmon fillet
1 cup of milk
1 bay leaf
salt
zest of 1 lime
3cm piece of ginger
3 stalks spring onion
flour to dust the salmon cakes
butter and oil for cooking
SALAD
handful of lamb’s lettuce and parsley
1 small red onion
2 gherkins, drained
2 tbsp olive oil
½ lemon, for the juice
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Peel and chop the potatoes into 2cm-thick slices, then boil until tender in salted water. Put the salmon into an ovenproof pan with the milk and bay leaf and bake for 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes, return them to the saucepan and place over a low heat for 3-4 minutes to steam away any excess water. Roughly mash using a wooden spoon. Remove the salmon from the oven and gently lift from the milk. Discard the bay leaf and pull any bones and skin away from the salmon. Put the fish into the saucepan with the mashed potato and season with salt. Add the lime zest. Peel and finely chop the ginger, and finely slice the spring onions. Mix everything together, taking care not to crush the flakes of salmon too much.
Shape the mix into round patties between the palms of your hands, lightly dusting each one in flour before placing it onto a tray. Melt enough of the butter and oil in a frying pan to cover the base. Fry the cakes for 3-4 minutes, until gorgeously brown on each side. Remove the cakes from the pan and put them on a warm plate. Wipe the pan clean and repeat until all the cakes are cooked.
Thoroughly rinse the parsley and lettuce, taking care not to bruise the extremely delicate lamb’s lettuce. Roughly chop the parsley and place in a small bowl with the lamb’s lettuce petals. Finely chop the onion, and cut the gherkins into small dice. Mix in with the lamb’s lettuce and parsley leaves. In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice then toss through the salad leaves.
Serves 2.