Bored of your standard burger? Want to try something completely different? While I was in Germany as a medical student I came across this wonderful combination of flavours and textures. Next time you’re at the supermarket grab some fig jam and goats’ cheese and give it a go!

Serves: 4 burgers
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients :

For the onions

• 4 medium onions
• 2 shots of whiskey
• 2 teaspoons of brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon of ghee (or butter/duck fat)
• 2 tablespoons of water
• a good pinch of salt and pepper

For the patties

• 800g of minced beef
• 2 generous pinches of salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon of American mustard
• 1 egg
• 1 handful of breadcrumbs

For the toppings

• 8-12 rashers of bacon, thinly sliced
• 120 g soft goats’ cheese
• 3-4 tablespoons fig jam
• 1/2 iceberg lettuce
• 4 large brioche buns

Method:

1. Peel your onions and cut them in half. Finely slice into semicircular rings. Add to a large non-stick pan with the ghee. Season with some salt. Cook over a high heat, stirring continuously for 5-10 mins, making sure that the onions do not burn. If at any point the onions start to burn, add a tablespoon or two of water. This will stop the burning and also speed up the softening process.
2. Once softened, add the brown sugar and whisky. Flambé (or simply cook over a high heat) to burn off the alcohol for another minute or two. Take of the heat and set aside to cool.
3. To make the patties, first season your minced beef with salt and pepper. Add in the american mustard, egg and breadcrumbs. Gently combine and then form 4 round patties, about 2 cm thick, depending on the size your burger bun. Place your patties on a tray or plate lined with non-stick baking paper and store in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them. (I recommend waiting at least 30 minutes to help them firm up – this will help hold them together when you grill them).
4. Cook the bacon over a medium high heat in a dry non-stick pan until crispy. Set aside on some kitchen paper to crispen up further.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large non stick pan/cast iron pan/griddle pan. Cook your patties over a high heat, about 3-4 minutes on each side. (Flip when the burger has turned grey half-way through the thickness of the patty.) Refrain from flipping your burgers too soon – you’ll end up breaking them!
6. Cut your brioche buns in half, and toast them in the bacon/burger fat seasoned pan for a minute or two.
7. Spread a generous layer of fig jam on the top half of your bun.
8. Layer the iceberg lettuce on the bottom half of the bun and add the cooked patty on top. Crumble the goats’ cheese on top of the burger. Add the caramelised onion, and top with the jam covered top. Enjoy.

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Notes/troubleshooting

When making the patties, try not to overmix/knead your meat mixture. This will avoid you ending up with hard dense patties. Always form your patties slightly larger than the buns as they tend to shrink a bit during cooking.

Avoid super thick burgers. If you’ve got small buns, then make two thin patties instead. And adjust cooking times accordingly 😉

Personally, I moved away from the idea that a burger should be pink in the middle. Let’ be honest here, chances are your beef mince isn’t exactly made up of fresh prime cuts of beef. Just don’t cook it so much that it resembles a hard, dry lump of clay. Let’s aim for a nice brown crust, with a juicy, well cooked interior.

Yes, you can make these patties and freeze the extra ones for another time (cover both sides with non-stick baking paper prior to freezing). They can be cooked from frozen, just they’ll take longer. It might be a good idea to cover the pan with a lid in this case for the first few minutes, just to speed up the process.

The lettuce is there to add crunch and also protect the bun from getting soggy. Don’t skip it. make sure you layer it beneath your patty.

Got friends coming over? Or taking your game to the beach for a BBQ? Just make the onions and burgers ahead of time!

You could opt to use slices of firm goat’s cheese. It melts well, but doesn’t lend that nice creamy textures that the soft version does. Spreadable goats’ cheese works fine, but you’ll need quite a thick layer to get the same richness.

Go for super thin streaky bacon slices. These crispen up brilliantly. Stay away from thick/lean cuts of bacon. Let’s be honest, if you’re gonna be eating a burger, forget the calorie counting today.

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Seriously buy fig jam. Don’t use that strawberry jam you’ve had in the fridge for ages. And if you’re wondering what else to do with this fig jam…. a) serve it with a cheese board next time your guests come over, b) slather it over some camembert/brie and back it in the oven for an amazing cheesy dip, c) add a heaped tablespoon of it into your meat gravy – it makes one hell of a difference! There, the purchase is justified. 😉

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