Recipes: Try these beautiful burgers

Apr 26 2008 by Sheila Benson and Sean Millar, Liverpool Daily Post

IF YOU search on Google for the word "burger" you get a whole range of American fast-food advertising and quite a few unsavoury images of unnatural looking cheese burgers which do little for the appetite. If you scroll down a bit further, you get an example of the "8,000 calorie" burger, and we don’t have to tell you how many days worth of calories that provides!

It seems, then, that the humble burger is still very much considered a convenient, greasy and unhealthy way to satisfy your hunger, when in fact if you cook them at home (or go to a good restaurant) they can be a very lean way to enjoy your favourite meat.

It isn’t difficult to find a good recipe for meat burgers and as long as your meat (chicken, lamb, beef) is of good quality, then your guests will never complain. This week, we thought we’d stretch our imaginations and give you a fish and a veggie alternative instead.

Smoked fish and bacon are a formidable combination and their flavours in this recipe for Smoked Trout and Bacon Burgers are complemented beautifully with a fragrant and refreshing pesto relish.

To serve four, take 225g (10oz) potatoes cut into chunks, 350g (1lb) flaked smoked trout fillets, 2 tsp creamed horseradish, 6 finely chopped spring onions, 175g (8oz) grated courgette, 2 tbsp wholemeal flour, 8 lean back bacon rashers, 2 tbsp sunflower oil and salt and pepper to season. And for the pesto relish, 15g (½ oz) fresh basil, 40g (1½ oz) toasted pine kernels (put your pine kernels into a hot oven until toasted and brown), 3 cloves of garlic, 150ml (5 fl oz) olive oil, 40g (2oz) freshly grated parmesan cheese, 4cm cucumber piece, peeled, de-seeded and finely diced, 4 finely chopped spring onions and 2 finely chopped plum tomatoes.

Cook the potatoes in a saucepan of lightly salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain, mash and place in a large bowl. Add the horseradish, spring onions, courgette and season to taste. Mix together thoroughly and shape into four equal sized burgers. Leave to chill for at least an hour then coat each in the wholemeal flour and wrap in 2 rashers of bacon.

To make the relish, begin by placing the basil, pine kernels and garlic into a food processor and blend for one minute, then leave the motor running and gradually add the oil. Scrape into a bowl and stir in the cheese, cucumber, spring onion and tomatoes, and spoon into a serving bowl.

Heat a little oil in heavy based frying pan. When hot, carefully place the burgers in the pan and cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden, crispy and piping hot. Serve with salad and a generous dollop of the Pesto Relish.

Next, try the unusual combination of Macadamia nuts and Feta Cheese for a most unorthodox burger. To serve four take 115g (5oz) Thai rice, 1 red onion cut into wedges, 1 red pepper de-seeded and chopped, 225g (10oz) macadamia nuts, 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, 225g (10oz) feta cheese, 2 tbsp wholemeal flour, 1 egg beaten, 85g (3 oz) fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs, 2 -3 tbsp of sunflower oil for frying and salt and pepper to season.

Begin by cooking the rice in a saucepan of lightly salted water for 12 minutes until tender, drain well and set aside. Place the macadamia nuts, red onion, red pepper and coriander in a food processor, use the pulse button to chop finely, and add them to the rice. Crumble the cheese finely and blend with the nut mixture along with pepper and a little salt to taste (remember the feta cheese is already very salty).

Shape into 4-6 equal sized burgers, coat in the flour and place in the fridge to chill for an hour. Place the egg and bread crumbs in two separate bowls and coat the burgers first in the egg, allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl, and then coat thoroughly in the breadcrumbs. Again heat a little oil in a heavy based frying pan. When hot, add the burgers and cook over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side.

They are delicious served with warm pita bread, couscous salad, and a sweet accompaniment such as sweet chilli sauce.

They may not be as fast as the fast-food equivalents but we assure you they’re far healthier and much, much tastier.

* Sheila Benson and Sean Millar are at The Side Door, 29a Hope Street, Liverpool. Tel: 0151 707 7888.