Less time spent in the kitchen is a must in hot sunny Malta in the summer.   I somehow find it easier to stay and prepare easy meals at home especially if it is a family occasion and kids are around.

Preparing burgers is easy and burgers are a crowd pleaser.  Most ingredients can be stocked in the kitchen cupboard and freezer.  I use easy-to-find ingredients available at any corner shop.

Making burgers from scratch allows you to put exactly what you like in them. Lean meat that is still juicy and moist after it is cooked is ideal, and the best way to achieve this is to ask your butcher to help you with your choice. You can also opt for the less traditional burgers and use ground rabbit, or veal.

Burgers are associated with food that is not healthy, but this is not necessarily so – especially when they are homemade.

Here, additional ingredients are used purely for flavour, rather than for bulk and a variety to please everyone.

TIP: To avoid sogginess toast the bun and place the lettuce under the burger. Use a serrated knife to cut tomatoes; drain out all juices and seeds.

For burgers you will need:

1 tbsp olive, for cooking
Condiments and extras: mustard, ketchup, red onions, fried eggs, picked cucumbers, coleslaw, mayonnaise, bacon, lettuce, cucumber, cheddar, blue cheese

Beef burgers
1 small onion, finely chopped
400g minced beef
2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 egg
3 galletti (water biscuits), crushed
3 burger buns

Pork burgers
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp fresh chilli, deseeded and chopped
400g pork mince
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 egg
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Maltese sausage burgers
200g Maltese sausage meat
200g lean ground pork
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 hard white cheeselet, grated
1 egg
4 galletti

Chicken burgers
1 egg
1 small onion, grated
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
400g lean ground chicken
1 tbsp tahini

Vegan Bean Burgers
2 cups cooked or canned beans
1 medium onion, finely cut and cooked
2 small cloves garlic
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper
1 sweet potato, peeled, cooked and diced
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons linseed mixed with 2 tablespoons water [egg replacement instead of eggs]
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil to brush burgers

The method for all of them

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix [mash where required to form a consistent mix]. 

Divide the mixture into four. Wet your hands and form patties about 2cm thick.

You can cook the burgers in the oven at 180˚C for 20 minutes, turning them once after 10 minutes. You can also cook them the traditional way, on a BBQ.

I chose to use a griddle pan. Wipe the pan with vegetable oil using a kitchen towel and heat up the pan to maximum heat.

When using a pan, the burgers usually take 3 minutes each side to cook. Make sure that pork and chicken are cooked through.

Prepare the buns by halving and toasting them. Slide your cooked burger onto your buns and stack up the extras according to your preference.

 

 

I use Filippo Berio Olive oil available at Rimus Group