Whether you love meat or you don’t, there’s always a great time for some burgers.
Now gourmet burgers have, over the years, become a favourite for many of us. Call it the smash burger effect. Gourmet burgers are packed with flavour. We love layering our burgers with as much deliciousness as possible. We try out flavour combinations that ideally would’t work, but do.
A few years ago, people who follow a plant-based diet, have struggled to get the perfect vegan and vegetarian burger patties. But not so any more. Chefs and cooks have come up with great ideas for plant-based burgers and their innovations are getting better every year.
But there are still many people who love their meat and the juicier the patty, the better.
So four gourmet burger recipes that will be great for you to try out this weekend. From the beetroot and lentil burger and the gourmet salmon burger, to the Asian style pork burger and cheese filled burger, these recipes will suit everyone’s diet.
Enjoy.
SALMON BURGERS WITH WASABI MAYO (Makes 4)
400g skinless salmon or trout fillets, coarsely chopped
1 bunch of spring onions, roughly chopped
125ml dill
10ml grated fresh ginger
grated lemon rind and juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
250ml Panko breadcrumbs
125ml creamy mayonnaise
10ml-15ml wasabi
olive oil, for frying
wholewheat rolls, to serve
1 avocado, sliced
pickled ginger
Place the salmon, spring onion, dill, ginger, lemon rind and juice in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times until the mixture is combined but still chunky.
Transfer to a bowl.
Season with salt and pepper and mix in the breadcrumbs.
Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into patties.
Transfer to a plate, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Combine mayo and wasabi and refrigerate until needed.
Heat some oil in a pan over high heat and fry the patties for 2 minutes a side.
Arrange on wholewheat rolls with avocado slices, wasabi mayonnaise and pickled ginger.
Vegan beetroot and lentil burger with coriander alioli (Serves 4)
1 medium beetroot grated or finely diced
1 tin lentils, drained
1 tbs tomato paste
½ an onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¾ cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
METHOD: Combine all ingredients and mix by hand until the lentils are squashed and the mixture comes together and becomes firm. Heat a pan and fry a little bit of the mix in some olive oil to check the seasoning. Adjust if necessary. Divide into your desired sized patties and work them with wet hands to get them to stay together nicely. Fry the patties in olive oil for about 3 minutes a side.
TO ASSEMBLE: Toast the burger bun and smear with the aioli. Layer with lettuce, tomato, red onion, gherkins, your patty, fried mushrooms and brinjal. Basically, go wild with whatever toppings and fillings you want. Home-made basil pesto works well too.
Serve with crispy onion rings, chips and your chosen sauce.
ASIAN-STYLE PORK BURGERS (Serves 4)
600g pork mince
20ml grated fresh ginger
5ml chopped garlic
125ml chopped fresh coriander
45ml sweet chilli sauce
10ml sesame oil
250ml fresh breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
oil, for frying
sesame buns
lettuce and sweet chilli sauce, for serving
PICKLED SLAW
250ml white cabbage, shredded
250ml red cabbage, shredded
15ml salt
125ml rice vinegar
20ML-30ml castor sugar
5ml yellow mustard seeds
In a bowl, combine the mince, ginger, garlic, coriander, sweet chilli sauce, sesame oil, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into four portions and shape into patties. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry on a medium heat for 5 minutes a side. To ensure the burgers are fully cooked, place in a preheated oven at 180°C for 10minutes.
Serve on sesame buns with lettuce, pickled slaw and extra sweet chilli sauce or with potato wedges if desired.
SLAW: Combine the white and red cabbage in a bowl. Sprinkle the salt, and allow to stand for 20minutes.
Rinse well and allow to drain thoroughly.
Transfer to a bowl. Mix the rice vinegar, sugar and mustard seeds and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the cabbage, refrigerate and allow to marinate for 30minutes.
CHEESE-FILLED BEEF BURGERS (Makes 4 large or 8 medium)
15ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
5ml chopped garlic
1kg beef mince
10ml garlic salt
2ml black pepper
10ml smoked paprika
10ml dried oregano
a pinch of chilli flakes
30ml BBQ sauce
60ml Worcestershire sauce
250ml fresh breadcrumbs
oil, for frying
Hamburger buns, lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced onion and gherkins, for serving
CHEESE FILLING
250ml grated cheddar cheese
125ml grated Parmesan
125ml chopped fresh parsley
5 spring onions, finely chopped
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then add to the mince with the garlic salt, pepper, smoked paprika, oregano, chilli flakes, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce and breadcrumbs.
If making 4 large patties, divide the mince mixture into 8 balls, then shape into flat discs.
Place 4 discs on a board, fill with some cheese filling, cover with the remaining discs and shape into patties. Pinch the edges together to seal. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the patties over medium-low heat for 6 to 7 minutes a side.
Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato, onion and gherkin. Serve with sweet potato chips if desired.
FILLING: Combine the ingredients.