It is unfair that burgers are often called upon to nurse a hangover or satisfy a Gargantuan appetite. And when we get our burger, what do we do with it? We slap on the cheese, onions, tomatoes, pickles, ketch-up, mustard and mayo and then press it down with the bun to make a concoction of condiments. After we gorge speedily and greedily on this sandwich of ‘everything, yet nothing in particular’, we complain of heartburn and lethargy. What a nerve!!!
Well, the burger has had enough. She is tired of being at your beck and call and is now trading her simplicity for sophistication so that she can be respected. Throwing in blue cheese and shitake mushrooms with some roasted coriander seeds and tarragon will do the trick. She will still have the firmness of a burger yet will give you hints of her softer side with the dotted creaminess from the blue cheese. The mayo too, will provide a lending hand in softness and moisture. She will allow for minimal accessorizing, perhaps a little rouge from the sliced tomato and a little gold from the dijon mustard, but that is it!!! Oh, and before you leave the grocery store with those nasty, floppy, full absorbancy buns, turn around and put them back and look for something with a little more personality..perhaps a Kaiser roll…remember, we need to do this her way!
Ingredients
1 tsp coriander seeds
2oz shitake mushrooms
2 shallots
1 clove of garlic
¼ cup of blue cheese
5 fresh sage leaves
2 tblsp mayo
Salt (about 1 ½ tsp)
Fresh cracked pepper
2 cups of bread crumbs
Method
1. Toast the coriander seeds for a minute, until they turn golden brown and crush with a mortar and pestle
2. Clean and de-stem the shitake mushrooms and peel the shallots. Throw them into the blender for a few seconds until they are chopped in to small pieces (not to a paste)
3. Sautee the mushrooms and onions in a pan for about 3 minutes and remove from heat, allowing them to cool
4. In a mixing bowl, add the ground chicken, salt, pepper, coriander seeds and mayonnaise. Chop up the sage and garlic and add it to the mixing bowl.
5. Once the mushroom and shallots have cooled down, add to the mixing bowl and mix well
6. Fold the blue cheese in the the mix (not breaking up the cheese too much)
7. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes so that it is easier to handle when cooking it.
8. Spread breadcrumbs on a plate
9. Remove from the refrigerator and make 4 balls from the mixture.
10. Place the ball on the breadcrumbs and lightly press down to make a
patty. Turn the patty around so that both sides get coated.
11. Add a little oil to a non stick pan and cook 2 patties at a time. Cook each side for about 4 minutes covered so that the chicken is well cooked through.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this very simply on a Kaiser roll and a dab of mustard.
Pearls of Wisdom
When I make the patties, I rub a little oil on to my hands, this makes the mixture easier to handle
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