A good burger should begin with the highest quality meat you can get your hands on. With this in mind, we've teamed up with our favourite family-run butcher, HG Walter to bring you the perfect recipe for lamb smash burgers.
Established in 1972, HG Walter have steadily garnered a reputation, both amongst professional chefs and keen home cooks, for providing the highest quality range of sustainable meat on the market. See their full range here or pop into their Barons Court store to have a chat.
Ingredients
Makes 2 burgers
• 250g lamb mince
• Tsp dried mint
• 1/3 of a cucumber
• 1 large red onion
• 100ml white wine vinegar
• 100g caster sugar
• 4 large baby gem leaves
• 200ml mayo
• Half bunch basil
• Juice of half a lemon
• 50g feta cheese
• 2 burger buns
• Salt & pepper
Method
Start by combining the lamb mice with the dried mint and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Divide the mix into 2 balls roughly the same size and set aside until ready to cook. Finely dice half of the onion to top the patties whilst cooking.
In a food processor, blend the picked basil leaves with the lemon juice until fully emulsified. Leave to chill in the fridge until ready to assemble.
Peel and deseed the cucumber. Dice the other half of the onion into large chunks.
Add 100ml of water to the sugar and vinegar and a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and add the diced cucumber and onion. Leave to cool to room temperature before chilling in the fridge.
Heat a cast iron skillet or sauté pan on a medium heat until it begins to smoke a little. Add a small splash of oil.
Add the lamb patty to the pan and top with the diced onions and a pinch of salt. Use a chef's press to smash the patty down and use a circular ironing motion to make sure the patty is evenly pressed. Cook for 2-3 minutes before flipping. Once flipped, top with the crumbled feta cheese. Add a few splashes of water to the pan and cover with the lid for a minute or two. The steam created will help cook the burger through and melt the cheese nicely.
Toast the bun in the pan before assembling the burger. Spread the basil mayo on both halves. Put the whole gem leaf on the bottom as it helps keep the bun from becoming too soggy. Then the patty and finally the cucumber and onion relish.