Smash Burgers

Smashing the burger results in a caramelised sear on the outside of the meat and locks in all of the juices and flavour, the best way to enjoy a burger, plus it takes less time to cook! And you can't beat homemade onion rings, a great trick to have up your sleeve.

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Ingredients

beef mince 500 g
little gem lettuce 1 (shredded)
gherkins 4 (chopped)
cheese slice 4
brioche burger buns ¼ (halved)
onion 3 (sliced)
mayonnaise 100 g
ketchup 30 g
Dijon mustard 10 g
sugar 5 g
paprika ½ tsp
milk 100 ml
plain flour 100 g
garlic powder ½ tsp
vegetable oil 500 ml
bbq seasoning 1 tbsp

Method

Make the crispy onion rings

Make the crispy onion rings. Peel and slice the 2/3 of the onions into rings. (you will use the rest of the onion to garnish the burgers and make the burger sauce.
In a shallow bowl mix the flour, BBQ seasoning and garlic powder. Pour the milk into another shallow bowl.
Fill a heavy bottomed pan with enough oil to fry the onion rings - they need to be fully submerged in the oil. and preheat to 190°C. If you don't have a thermometer you can test this by dropping a breadcrumb in it, if it sizzles and turns golden brown in roughly 30 seconds - 1 minute, it's ready.
Working in batches, dip the onions into the milk then the flour mix and fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.

Make the burger sauce

Slice half the gherkins thinly (this will be used in burger buns to garnish the burger) and dice the other half the rest of the gherkins (this will be used for the burger sauce). Thinly slice ¾ of the rest of theonion (to be used in the burgers) and finely dice the rest of the onion (to be used in the burger sauce).
Prepare the burger sauce. In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, Dijon mustard, sugar, diced gherkins, diced onion and paprika. Set aside.

Prep & cook the burgers

Prepare the burger mince Season well with salt and pepper and divide into even portions of 85g each, roll into balls but don’t overwork the mince.
Preheat a frying pan on a medium-high heat. Place the burgers onto the hot pan making sure you get that signature sizzle.
Using a piece of baking parchment smash the burgers with a sturdy spatula or a burger press. Place a piece of baking parchment on top of the burgers and with a spatula smash the burgers. Top the burgers with the sliced onions.
Cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook for 2 minutes. Add slices of cheese and cook for for another minute until golden brown and crispy on the bottom and the cheese has melted. Remove from the heat to rest.

Assemble the burgers & plate up

Slice the brioche buns in half and toast lightly. Now assemble the burgers - spread the burger sauce on the buns, top with the gherkins and lettuce and add the burger, top with the crispy onion rings. Serve the smash burgers immediately while they're hot and enjoy!

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