Japanese burger recipe

Posted on November 13, 2013 by linda

BH&T Japanese burger recipeTuna Tartare with Pickled Vegetables, Wasabi and Sushi Rice
Every country has its challenges and wonders and Japan is no different.  The challenge was trying to find something to say about Japan that you don’t already know.  The wonder is the sheer weirdness of the food.  Let’s begin with the challenge.

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Japan is comprised of over 3,600 islands and is, of course, located off the Northeast coast of Asia.  Between the early 1600’s and the mid 1800’s, the policy of the Japanese government was essentially isolationist.  Because of this policy, the Japanese culture flourished, but uniquely flourished.  It’s hard to completely grasp because I’ve grown up in the U.S. which of course is chock full of international influences and always has been, but it explains a lot about the complexity and difficulty of truly understanding the Japanese.  Imagine a group of people living on an island (ok, technically a bunch of islands) and not interacting with any other people for 200 years.  The art, literature, music, and, of course, the food of Japan have all been affected by this long period of introspection.

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

And on to the wonder, for our purposes, this introspection equates to weird food.  Ok don’t get all worked up, I don’t mean weird “bad”, I mean weird as in unique, unusual, with very few easy comparisons to Western food, or even other Asian cuisines.   I happen to think it’s weird/spectacular, but I am still a novice.  For my burger I’ve focused on the basics and tried to keep the flavors clean and approachable.  Since clean and focused flavors are a hallmark of Japanese cuisine, it feels like we’re off to a good start.

Seafood is central to Japanese cuisine.  Yes, I know there will be a whole group of you who are screaming for wagyu beef, but let’s face it guys, wagyu beef is not in every kitchen and is not a core food of the average family in Japan – it’s a specialty, and a ridiculously expensive one at that.  So I’m sticking with fish, and because I can, I’m sticking with raw fish.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never prepared raw fish, I always just buy mine at restaurants.  So how to get good fish that will work?  Well first, I picked tuna, because it’s one of the most popular raw fishes in these parts, so it’s easy to find.  So I went to Whole Foods and purchased some tuna sashimi, so “sushi grade” tuna and an ahi tuna steak.  First off, “sushi grade” isn’t a real FDA term, it’s a term that retailers use to indicate fish that’s been frozen in such a way to kill off all parasites.  So if you go to buy “sushi grade” – you’ll be buying frozen fish.  I bought frozen yellowtail because they didn’t have frozen ahi and I’ve liked yellowtail when I’ve had sushi before, so I thought we’d give it a whirl.

Paul and I did a taste test and the sashimi was bland and flavorless, the frozen yellowtail was fishy and unpleasant and the ahi steak was perfect.  So we went with the ahi.  I kept it simple with light seasoning, chopped it up and formed a patty – and no, I didn’t cook it.  I don’t like the taste of cooked tuna at all, so we’re sticking with tartar.

There are very few meals in Japan that don’t include pickled vegetables, so we had to include some pickled veg.  Radishes are extremely popular – we tried both Japanese radish and the reddish-pink radishes that are common here.  I found the Japanese radish tasted ok, but smelled a little sulphury – the smell bugged me so much, I threw it in the trash and stuck with the red-pink version – happily the color was nice too, so that was a good bonus.  Added to that some turnip and some sesame seeds and it was a perfect topping.

Horseradish is a classic flavor that pairs perfectly with fish, so I made some wasabi (they sell powdered wasabi at my local grocery store).  I really wanted to make a wasabi mayonnaise – cause I love mayonnaise – but my research indicated that mayo is not authentic to traditional Japanese cuisine but rather a fusion from European cuisines – so I kept it simple and pure.

As for the starch, I don’t think you can really talk about Japanese food without rice coming into the conversation.  And sushi rice is awesome with fish.  You use short grained rice labeled “sushi rice”, rinse it and cook it then add rice vinegar and sugar – it gives it a slightly sour and sweet flavor that perfectly balances the sweetness of the tuna and the sharp flavor of the pickled vegetables.

So, if you’ve eaten Japanese food, I hope this burger will remind you of some of your favorite experiences.   If you’re like me and have only had Japanese food in restaurants, try this, it’s easy and will give you new confidence to try new things.  And, if you haven’t tried Japanese food, don’t be afraid – the flavors are subtle and lovely, try it – make one burger and serve it as an appetizer, just be bold and try something new, worst case, you can always pepper-crust and sear the rest of the tuna, or you can order a pizza 🙂

If you like this burger, I have no idea what other burgers you might enjoy, but here’s another fish option with totally different flavors.  Try Guinea Bissau and a spicy tilapia burger with cashew rice, it’s delicious and exotic and despite that, nothing like the Japanese burger 🙂

Japan Burger
1 pound ahi tuna
3 teaspoons soy sauce
3 small scallions sliced thin
1 teaspoon prepared wasabi (make it a little watery as it’s easier to use)
Pickled vegetables (recipe below)
Sushi Rice (recipe below)

Chop the tuna into small pieces.  Add soy and scallions to the tuna and toss to mix.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Place a scoop of sushi rice on the plate then drizzle some wasabi on the rice – the amount depends on how much you like wasabi.  We found ¼ teaspoon to be about right, but you can play with it.  Form the chopped tuna into patties and place on top of the rice.  Add a spoonful of each of the pickled vegetables and sprinkle white and black sesame seeds on top.

Pickled Vegetables
3 turnips sliced thin (use a mandoline)
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
6 radishes sliced thin (use a mandoline)
½ cup seasoned rice vinegar

Put each of the vegetables in a separate glass bowl (otherwise the pink of the radishes will bleed through to the turnips).  Add vinegar to each bowl and toss the vegetables to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Drain to use.

Sushi Rice
1 cup sushi rice – rinsed
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar

Place rice and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes, then let it stand for 15 minutes covered.  In a small microwavable bowl combine the rice vinegar and sugar and heat for 30 seconds on high in microwave.  Stir until sugar dissolves.  Place the rice in a large glass bowl and add the vinegar/sugar mixture.  Stir to coat the rice.  Let the rice cool to room temperature before using – do not refrigerate the rice, ever, it’s a big no-no in Japanese cooking to refrigerate rice.

 

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©Copyright 2013 Linda Monach

Posted in asian recipes, fish burgers | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Jamaican burger

Posted on October 17, 2013 by linda

BH&T Jamaica Burger Recipe Jerk Chicken Burger – of course!
I trust you all had a lovely summer and enjoyed your holiday.  In honor of holiday/vacation/time off, we are off to Jamaica today.  I don’t know about you, but some time in the islands sounds like just the thing.  Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean.  It was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1494 then later settled by the Spanish.  This was unfortunate for the native Taino people who were gradually killed off (a combination of violence and disease).

jm_large_locator

Today there are almost 3 million people living in Jamaica.  Over 90% of the population is of African descent (the Spanish and later the English brought Africans over as slaves starting in the 16th century.  Slavery was abolished in 1834 and full independence was achieved in 1962.  Over time, the economy of Jamaica had become highly dependent on services, many of which are fed by the tourism industry (no wonder given the natural beauty of the island).  Unfortunately the global economic downturn hits countries like this particularly hard, and Jamaica is no exception.  In an attempt to bail out ailing sectors of the economy, the government has gone deeply into debt (debt to GDP ratio of 130%).  Combine that with high crime rates and unemployment running around 14% and things are not so sunny in Jamaica these days.

By Op. Deo at English Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons

By Op. Deo at English Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons

By Adam L. Clevenger, via Wikimedia Commons

By Adam L. Clevenger, via Wikimedia Commons

Before we jump in to the food, I wanted to talk a little about the Rastafari religion in Jamaica, mainly because I found it really interesting and hope you will too.  Rastafari developed in Jamaica in the 1930s after Haile Selassie I was crowned King of Ethiopia.  Its followers believe that Haile Selassie is God.

Haile Selassie I - By G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection, via Wikimedia Commons

Haile Selassie I – By G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection, via Wikimedia Commons

God will, according the Rastafari theology return to Africa those blacks who are living in exile due to colonization and slave trade.  There are about 1 million followers of the Rastafari religion worldwide.  Rastafarians follow many of the teachings of the Old Testament; it is a Christian based religion.  There are many dietary restrictions that are followed to varying degrees.  Most Rastafarians don’t drink alcohol and many don’t eat meat.  There is an emphasis on clean and natural foods and some followers even avoid using cooking implements made out of metal and any canned or preserved foods.  The whole dreadlock thing is because the religion forbids cutting your hair.  Overall Rastafari is an interesting religion with a strong belief in black empowerment and in living in harmony with the natural world.  So don’t stop at Bob Marley, read up on the movement, it is pretty cool and very interesting.

Great dreads!

Great dreads!

Enough of this, let’s move on to the food, there is much to celebrate in the food culture of Jamaica.  While it has been influenced by the many people who have lived on the islands, today it is one of the most influential and exported cuisines in the Caribbean.  The original native Taino cooked on a wooden grate over a slow flame, the wood that they used was wood from the allspice tree.  Jamaicans now call this cooking method “jerk”.  The word “jerk” also refers to a spice blend that varies from one Jamaican to the next, but always includes allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers.   Although Jamaican cuisine has many rich traditions, jerk is, by far, the most iconic flavor from Jamaica and I couldn’t resist making it the basis for my burger recipe.  So yes, I made a jerk chicken burger, and it is spicy and packed with the flavor of the islands.

I also tried making bammy, “tried” being the operative word.  Bammy is a traditional Jamaican dish that involves straining grated yucca then grilling it in a patty form.  The recipes that I found were pretty basic, so that’s what I tried to emulate.  And, it tasted like cardboard and had the texture of glue.  So I abandoned that Idea and went with a basic beans and rice for the starchy base.  Then, because we’re in the islands, I had to add some fresh tropical fruits and veggies to lighten things up.

BH&T Jamaica Bammy

The final result is classic spice flavor complimented by heat that ties it all together and stays with you.  You get the tangy, piney flavor of allspice loud and clear and the salsa balances with a sweet and zesty tropical top-note.  The rice and beans tame the whole dish a bit and keep the spice and heat from overpowering the palate.

Hopefully you’ll enjoy this and be transported to the islands.  If you like this, I have lots of other Caribbean burgers you’ll probably enjoy too – check out the ………

Jamaica burger
1¼ pound boneless skinless chicken breast
2 Tablespoons ground allspice
2 cloves of garlic crushed
1 habenero or Scotch bonnet pepper sliced
2 scallions chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Juice of 1 lime
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon peanut oil
2 cups beans and rice (recipe below)
2 cups papaya salsa (recipe below)

Cut the chicken into chunks (about 1 inch cube) and place in a glass bowl.  Put all of the spices and herbs along with the lime juice and salt into a spice grinder and grind into a paste.  Add the paste to the chicken and coat the chicken with the paste.  Let it sit in the fridge for about an hour.  Using the fine setting on a meat grinder, grind the chicken along with the spice paste.  Form four patties from the mixture.

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet.  Grill the patties until the chicken is cooked through.  To serve, place about half a cup of the rice and beans mixture on each plate, add the cooked patties then top with the papaya salsa.

Beans and rice
1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups water
1 can small red beans

Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to boil.  Cover and reduce heat to simmer.  Cook for 15 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed.

BH&T Jamaica Rice & Beans

Papaya Salsa
1 chayote sliced thin
½ papaya sliced
1 jalapeno seeded and diced
1 Vidalia onion sliced
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
Juice of 1 lime

Heat the oil in a medium skillet and grill the vegetables, fruit and peppers until just soft.  Remove the fruit and vegetables from the heat and chop.  Add lime juice to taste.  Use the salsa at room temperature or cold on the burgers.

BH&T Jamaica Papaya Salsa

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©Copyright 2013 Linda Monach

Posted in caribbean recipes, chicken burgers | Leave a comment

Where’s the beef?

Posted on October 12, 2013 by linda

Ok folks, this entry is a bit of a departure, actually it’s a total departure from my usual writing.  For those of you who have been enjoying my blog and my recipes, you may have noticed that I’ve slowed down dramatically this year.  If it’s any consolation, I have strong feelings of guilt and disappointment that this has happened 🙂

So I felt I owed you all an explanation.  In January of this year, my husband/soulmate/love of my life was diagnosed with brain cancer.  They operated on him about two weeks later and were able to remove about half of the tumor (they do the operation with him awake – yikes!).  Since then he’s been taking chemo every month for the last 6 months, 6 more to go.  Unfortunately brain cancer isn’t really curable (yet), fortunately he has the best kind of tumor, slow growing, good genetic markers, lots of research being done etc…

MRI axial

We are so grateful that we live near Boston and have the good folks at Dana Farber taking care of him.  We’re hopeful that these same people will find a cure, or at least better treatments in time to keep him going.  Paul is doing well and except for some reduced function in his left arm and some exhaustion from the chemo, he’s managing to keep his spirits up and is working and doing everything he used to do.  We expect he’ll be pretty stable for the next 5-10 years, after that, well, we try not to focus too much on after that.

So that’s my way of saying I’ve been distracted this year, and had some of the creative energy drained out of me.  But I haven’t given up.  I love to cook and Paul loves to eat, so this cookbook is going to happen (even if it takes a while longer), and the blog will continue.  I have already made a delicious Jamaican burger and the Japan burger was one of my favorites.  Now I just have to find some quality time to write them down for you.  And I will.

So please stick with me, keep trying all the burgers – I know there’s still a bunch you haven’t tried yet – and stay tuned.
Warm wishes to you all,
Linda

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Italian burger recipe

Posted on May 28, 2013 by linda

BH&T Italy Burger RecipeProsciutto Wrapped Burger with Asiago Cheese, Tomatoes and Olives
Italy is another one of those countries which could easily lead us astray.  I can’t tell you how many people have suggested a burger with mozzarella and Parmesan and red sauce – basically the moral equivalent of burger Parmesan.  Sounds dreadful to me, and boring, and not really like a good idea at all.  I took a different approach to Italy than I have used in the past.  For Italy, I used memory, the memory of a wonderful vacation.  Eleven years ago (pre-children), my husband Paul and I spent 12 glorious days in Italy and fell in love, with the country, the wine and the food.  We divided our time evenly between Rome, Sienna and Florence.  But before I get ahead of myself, let’s back up to the basics.

Paul in Florence

Paul in Florence

Italy is a country in Southern Europe which borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia.  It’s a peninsula with a gorgeous coast that I fully intend to visit on some future vacation.  Most of you have heard of Italy and know at least as much about the country as I do (based on the demographics of my visitors), so I’m going to skip to the food.

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

When it comes to the food of Italy, I’m willing to bet that a large percentage of you have eaten Italian food.  So much of what we enjoy as Italian food here in the US is really more “inspired by” than authentic.  The meaty red sauce that I grew up with is a cross between marinara and Bolognese.  Pizza in Italy (especially in Naples where pizza was invented) is generally made with fresh tomatoes, fresh herbs and fresh mozzarella.  The sauce and topping heavy pizzas we love here are very different from the flatbread delights of Naples.  So ignore what you think you know (unless of course you really do know, then hopefully I won’t screw it up), and come along on a journey with me to Tuscany.

yours truly in Volterra

yours truly in Volterra

With over 60 million people living in an area slightly larger than Arizona, there’s a huge variety of regional cuisines.  But since I want to live in the land of memory, I’m going to focus on Tuscan flavors and food.  Tuscany is a land for meat lovers.  Steak and wild boar were on every menu and the olive oil was the most fragrant and flavorful I’ve ever experienced.  Fresh tomatoes, wonderful cheese (yes, they do make more than parmesan and mozzarella), cured meats and unsalted bread – these are the flavors you’ll find throughout Tuscany.  And yes, I said unsalted bread.

According to a lovely women who was pouring delectable olive oil for tasting, the bread is made salt-free because the government used to tax salt and the Tuscan people decided they didn’t want to pay the tax, so they stopped using it in bread.  And, they never picked it back up again – which is strange because bread really needs salt.  Luckily you can dip this tasteless bread in lightly salted olive oil and everything is good again.

But I digress.  The flavors of my vacation worked their way perfectly into a burger.  I started with some Italian bread (salted, because that’s what they sell around here) and grilled it in the best olive oil I could find.  I spread some ground up olives (because sliced olives are too messy), a tomato with a little bit of olive oil and oregano – nothing too exciting yet.  Then there was the truly inspirational step – I took a thin piece of prosciutto di Parma and wrapped it around the burger patty – crazy as it sounds, it worked gloriously.  Meaty salty goodness, delicious.  The prosciutto gets nice and crispy and the flavor of the ham permeates the burger, it’s magical.

I tried 4 different cheeses, all imported from Italy.  Spent a small fortune, but I consider cheese an investment J  Even though it doesn’t melt easily, Paul and I both agreed that the asiago was the best for this burger.  It has a nice sharpness like a really good Parmesan or a dry aged cheddar without a stinkiness that might overpower the meat.  Whole foods had a buffalo milk cheese that was also really good, but I’m not really sure how typical buffalo milk cheese is in Italy, so we went with the asiago instead.  If you want a fun cheese tasting just go to your local specialty market and buy everything they have from Italy, you’ll be amazed at the variety or flavors and textures.

The final touch on this burger is to take some high quality Italian salami (I used sopressata), slice into small pieces and fry them up for a crispy topping.  Consider it an homage to the charcuterie of Italy 🙂

This burger is a celebration of meat; the prosciutto keeps the meat nice and moist and the acid in the tomato and the brine of the olives balance it out.  I recommend grilling the bread pretty heavily because the juiciness of the burger soaked our first attempts and disintegrated the bread.  It was a lovely reminder of a fantastic vacation and Paul has declared it “last meal worthy”, and this is a man who eats a lot of burgers!

If you like this burger you’ll probably enjoy the Andorran burger, it’s also meaty yet balanced.

Italy Burger
1 pound ground beef 80% lean
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar (preferably from Modena)
4 slices of prosciutto di Parma
Olive oil
2 ounces of asiago cheese sliced thin
2 ounces sopressata (or other high quality Italian salami)
24 kalamata olives
Baby romaine lettuce
4 slices of tomato
Dried oregano
Kosher salt

Mix together the garlic, balsamic vinegar and beef then form four patties out of the mixture.  Wrap each patty in a slice of prosciutto.

BH&T Italy burger patty uncooked

Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a cast iron skillet.  Place each patty in the olive oil and fry the burgers for about four minutes per side.

BH&T Italy Burger Cooking

Place the cheese on the burgers and cover the pan, turn the heat down to medium low and cook until cheese is melted.  Remove the cooked burgers from the pan, turn the heat up and cook the sopressata until crispy (they cook fast).

To serve put one slice of grilled bread on each plate, spread some olive paste on each, then add a layer of lettuce leaves and a tomato.  Sprinkle a little bit of oregano on each tomato slice and drizzle with olive oil.

BH&T Italy Tomatoes

Add the cooked patties and topped with the sopressata and final bread slices.

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©Copyright 2013 Linda Monach

 

 

 

 

Posted in beef burgers, european recipes | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Israeli burger recipe

Posted on May 18, 2013 by linda

BH&T Israel Burger Recipe

Harissa flavored burger with hummus and Israeli salad
As we make our culinary tour around the world, creating burgers for each country as we go, the most difficult stops (at least for me) are those countries that have had a variety of people traveling in and out. Luckily for us they are also some of the most rewarding. Israel is a Middle Eastern country which shares land borders with Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt and enjoys a long coast along the Mediterranean Sea.

Courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Courtesy of CIA World Factbook

 

The land used to be part of the British Empire then after World War II the UN created a Jewish state and Britain gave up rule of the land that now makes up Israel. We could spend a lot of time talking about the history of the land before British rule and after the State of Israel was established, but it would just get folks riled up, so let’s skip right to the food.

Without going into the long history, let’s just say that a lot of people have live in and traveled through Israel and they have all brought wonderful flavors and foods with them. The food of Israel is the food of the Middle East. There is hummus, falafel, baba ganoush, gyros, tabouleh, all the good stuff. The challenge with Israel wasn’t finding something good; it was deciding which good thing to use to make the perfect burger. I have several friends who grew up in Israel, but they weren’t much help – asking an Israeli about food is like asking a Frenchman about wine, you get a lot of great conversation, but not a lot of straight answers.

We all agreed that we should follow the Jewish dietary laws of kashrus or “keep it Kosher”. I do not have a kosher kitchen, so I can’t be truly kosher, but beyond that I’ve followed the rules. No mixing of meat and dairy so no cheese on our burger ☹. No shellfish, so no lobster sauce. And of course the obvious, no pork, so no bacon burger. The most difficult of these laws (for me anyway) was the loss of cheese…I really like cheese. But we’ve had plenty of cheese less burgers, so I got over it pretty quickly.

The meat could have been anything from lamb to chicken, but my Israeli friends all voted for beef, so who am I to argue? Now the question of how to flavor the meat was the hard part – again because of the embarrassment of riches. Too many choices, so little time. I considered herbs, I considered berbere, I read dozens of recipes and finally I decided on harissa. Harissa is a spice paste from Tunisia; it’s made of various chilies and can vary in heat depending on the chilies you use. I’m fortunate enough that my local Whole Foods carries two brands of harissa, so I bought both and chose the less spicy option for the burger. It added a lovely smokiness to the meat and complimented the lightness of the other ingredients perfectly.

BH&T Israel Harissa

I felt obligated to use pita bread because it is such a common staple of the Israeli diet, but I still think it’s an inferior substrate for a burger. Pita just tends to fall apart too easily for my tastes, but other than that it’s ok. I cut off the sides because I find them to dry and bready, this of course eliminates the “pocket” effect completely, but it works find if you just think of it as a really thin bread.

Of course I had to make my own hummus. I like a particularly garlicky hummus with a strong taste of lemon, but if you want to change the recipe to your tastes, that’s fine. Or, if you want to buy your favorite hummus, I don’t judge – I’ve been know to pick up a pint of Tribe of Two Sheiks myself from time to time.

So far we’ve brought flavors from all around the region to this burger, and, like all of the people coming in and going out of this land, we have a symphony of Middle Eastern flavors, but still nothing quintessentially Israeli, so of course, I had to add Israeli salad to the burger. If you travel to Israel you will undoubtedly encounter a simple and refreshing side dish of tomatoes and cucumber tossed in olive oil and lemon juice. There may be some green or red peppers in the salad too and these days some people are adding herbs, but the basic is tomato and cucumber, olive oil and lemon.

The Israeli salad has the perfect blend of flavors for a burger, but it is extremely messy, it made me wish I hadn’t cut the edges off the pita ☺. All in all, this burger was a marvelously light creation. Somehow the brightness of the hummus, the zestiness of the salad, and yes, the lightness of the pita all worked to transform this beef burger into something lighter and fresher than we expected. It paired perfectly with a California Pinot Noir, but would be equally good with a Sauvignon Blanc.

Except for some exacting knife cuts in the salad, this is a super easy burger to make. I hope you try it and enjoy. I think you’ll love it and, if you do, please try some of the other wonderful burgers from the Middle East like Bahrain, Egypt and Iraq.

Israel Burger
1 pound ground beef (20% fat)
1½ Tablespoons harissa
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 large pita rounds cut in half
Hummus (recipe below)
Israeli Salad (recipe below)

In a medium bowl, combine the beef and the harissa, mix through evenly. Form into four patties. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Cook the patties to desired temperature (this burger is best at medium or medium rare). To serve spread some hummus (be generous) on the inside of each pita. Place a burger patty on top of the hummus then add a generous scoop of Israeli Salad.

Hummus
1 15 ounce can chickpeas drained (reserve liquid)
3 large cloves of garlic chopped
¼ cup+ olive oil
3 Tablespoons tahini
Juice of 2 lemons
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup liquid from chickpeas

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Add olive oil and or chickpea liquid as needed to get a consistency you like. Taste and add lemon or salt as needed.

Israeli Salad
1 English cucumber
3 small tomatoes
½ red pepper
Olive oil
Fresh lemon juice

Dice the vegetables into small pieces of equal size (try for ¼ inch, but don’t kill yourself over it). You want approximately equal parts of tomato and cucumber. Toss the vegetables in olive oil and lemon juice (equal parts). Use just enough to coat the veggies, but not so much that you end up with soup. Keep the salad at room temperature until your ready to use it. Toss the vegetables and use a slotted spoon to serve.

BH&T Israeli Salad

©Copyright 2013 Linda Monach

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Posted in beef burgers, middle eastern recipes | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Irish burger recipe

Posted on April 30, 2013 by linda

BH&T Ireland Burger RecipePork Belly Cheese Burger with Champ and Irish Soda Bread
We just spent a week in Paris (and when I say we, I mean my husband and I, sans children), and it was heavenly. If you want to know more about that trip, check out the Burgers Here and There Facebook page. So we arrive home on Thursday and Friday I decide to make my Ireland burger. After spending a week eating really good French food, I admit that tackling the flavors of Ireland was a little tough to get excited about, but I find that pork belly is the great equalizer and can help me get excited about most anything.

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

So let’s talk about Ireland. Ireland is a Western European country and, according to CIA World Factbook occupies five sixths of the island of Ireland (the rest is Northern Ireland which is part of the United Kingdom). Ireland withdrew completely from the British Commonwealth in 1949 and has been independent since then.

Courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Courtesy of CIA World Factbook

As I started writing this blog entry, I found one of the most interesting aspects of Irish history (at least for my purposes) was the potato famine. I started writing about the history of the potato and the famine and was having a great time when I realized that I had two pages of text and hadn’t remotely gotten to the story of my burger – re-write time! Given the elegant phrasing and seamless narrative that I’m so well know for, it may surprise you to know that I almost never re-write or even re-read (ok, none of you are surprised). I try to “keep it real” and just write what I think. But I’m pretty sure that few of you want to read a treatise on the history of the potato in Ireland. So I’ll sum up.

Courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Potatoes were brought to Europe by the Spanish explorers who discovered them in the Andes Mountains in South America. Potatoes grow really well in Ireland and by 1844ish, the potato made up an estimated 80% of the caloric intake of the average Irishman. Potatoes are good food, Irish population swelled to 8 million. Then a nasty fungus made its way over from Mexico in 1845, no one knows how exactly, and decimated the almost every potato crop for the next four years, with continued effects for around 10 years. Roughly 1 million Irish died and another 1.5-2 million emigrated (mainly to the US). The British government didn’t help matters with their “relief” efforts (a whole other topic), and basically this episode in Irish history has a lot to do with the general feelings of mistrust and antipathy that the Irish have had for the British since then. Massive oversimplifications here – but you get the gist.

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Potatoes are still important in Irish cuisine, so of course we included some potatoes in the dish. While there are a myriad ways to prepare potatoes in Irish cooking, mashed is one of the classics and still a favorite today. The most common recipes are colcannon (which is mashed potatoes with kale or some other green in them) or champ (which is mashed with spring onions). Since Irish mashed potatoes are generally made with just milk and butter, I elected to go with the champ version as onions would add a little more flavor and give the dish some zing. Beside which, it’s spring here, so I can get spring onions now.

But I didn’t want the potato to be the main starch – primarily because ever since I saw Monte make Irish soda bread on MasterChef, I have wanted to try it out myself – it looked so easy! And easy it is! Irish soda bread is so simple to make, I almost didn’t hate baking ☺ The resulting bread is denser than yeast bread, but delicious and, did I mention easy? I made a basic bread with no frills, you can also adapt this recipe and add fruit and sugar and make a sweet version. If you add raisins you’ve just made spotted dick, enough said….

So soda bread, champ, that should be enough starch for even me, now let’s move on to the meat. Ask any American for an Irish dish and most will answer corned beef and cabbage. The reality is that that’s the American version; the Irish version is boiled pork and cabbage. In fact pork is the most common meat consumed in Ireland. The Irish love pork, so I figured it was time to go “hog wild” and buy me some pork belly! This burger is simple, so it really needs good meat – I ground my own, but you can also ask the butcher to grind it for you. I went with a combo of pork cutlet, slab bacon and pork belly and the result was a richly piggy flavor.

I topped the whole thing with some yummy Irish cheddar, which tasted a lot like yummy Wisconsin cheddar, so just buy good cheddar and you’ll be fine. Which reminds me, I did take this opportunity to try Irish butter. I’ve seen Irish butter in the stores for ages, but never picked it up. Irish butter tastes pretty much like butter, really creamy rich butter – I like it. If you can’t find it, just buy good butter, but if you can find it, give Irish butter a try.

If you like the richness of this burger, you should try Czech Republic Burger, it’s another homey and tasty bit of meaty goodness.

Ireland Burger
¾ pound pork cutlet
¼ pound pork belly
¼ pound slab bacon
Olive oil
4 ounces Irish cheddar
Irish Soda Bread (recipe below)
4 Tablespoons course English mustard
Champ (recipe below)
4 teaspoons Irish butter

Chop the meat into cubes and place the meat in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Grind the meat on the fine setting of your meat grinder. Form into four patties. Put a little olive oil a cast iron pan and fry the patties until the pork is cooked through. Top with slices of cheddar about 2 minutes before the pork is done and cover so that the cheese melts. To serve, slice the bread in half through the width of the loaf then into quarters. Grill the bread lightly in the hot pan.  On each quarter spread 1 Tablespoon of mustard then add a big dollop of champ, a pat of butter and the cooked burger patties.

BH&T Ireland Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread
2 cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces buttermilk
Preheat oven to 425˚F. Sift the dry ingredients then add the buttermilk. Note: you can use dried buttermilk hydrated with water. Combine into a sticky dough then knead lightly. Lightly grease and flour a cake pan. Form the dough into a slightly flat round loaf. Put the loaf into the greased pan and cover with another cake pan. Bake for 25 minutes then remove top pan and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove the loaf and place on wire rack to cool.

Champ
1 pound russet potatoes
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 spring onion chopped (white and light green parts only)
½ cup milk
1 Tablespoon Irish butter

Peel and chop potatoes. Boil the potatoes with 1 teaspoon of salt until fork tender. While the potatoes are cooking put the milk and the onions into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 3 minutes. Remove the milk from the heat. Drain the potatoes and mash with the butter and the milk and onion mixture, salt to taste.

BH&T Ireland Champ

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©Copyright 2013 Linda Monach

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Iraqi burger recipe

Posted on April 4, 2013 by linda

BH&T Iraq Burger RecipeBaharat Seasoned Lamb Burger with Rice Kibbe and Yogurt Mint Sauce
When I started on my goal of creating a burger recipe based on the cuisine of each country in the world, I assumed that each country would have a unique cuisine.  Of course now that I’m 79 recipes/countries into this I realize that there are no “unique” cuisines.  The fact is that people have traveled, ever since there were people, they’ve traveled, and they bring their favorite foods with them.  So as I started researching Iraqi food, I was shocked to read on several sites that “Iraq is one of the few countries that doesn’t have a unique cuisine”.  I think I’m going to have to chalk this comment up to ignorance at best or prejudice at worst.  The reality is that Iraq is an old country and people have been traveling in and out and around the area for a really long time, and as we discussed, they’ve taken their food with them.

By jamesdale10, via Wikimedia Commons

By jamesdale10, via Wikimedia Commons

The Republic of Iraq is located in the heart of the Middle East bordered by Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Turkey with a small coastline on the Persian Gulf.  It was once part of the Ottoman Empire and before that was part of Mesopotamia.  Now Iraq is now home to almost 32 million people.  And yes, the cuisine is pretty classically Middle Eastern but anyone who says that dismissively clearly doesn’t understand the thousands of years of history and culture and folks traveling that have brought us to the modern Middle East.  This is one of the oldest civilizations in the world; which gives us more to talk about than we have time on this particular journey.

By James (Jim) Gordon, via Wikimedia Commons

By James (Jim) Gordon, via Wikimedia Commons

Through these thousands of years and billions of travelers food and flavors have developed that somehow reach into your heart and soul and bring you home in a visceral way.  Middle Eastern food has a richness and complexity that seems exotic to those of us raised in the New World and weaned on fast food and processed foods.  Iraqis love spices and their food balances flavors that Westerners consider dessert tastes with classically savory spices.  Cumin mixes with cinnamon, nutmeg compliments saffron and suddenly your kitchen is filed with a glorious fragrance that lingers and brings your family and friends to the table ready to feast.

Which is a somewhat clumsy lead in to my next point about hospitality.  Iraqi culture, in keeping with Muslim culture more generally, has a strong emphasis on hospitality.  There’s a tradition that any guest/stranger/traveler is welcome to stay for 3 days in your house and it is rude for you to ask him his intentions or how long he plans to stay until the third day.  I’ve read stories of men who travel for business and stop at strangers houses along the way – the strangers become friends and start anticipating the visits, the travelers’ favorite foods are served when he arrives unexpectedly.  Now I come from a part of the US that is particularly know for it’s hospitality, but I wouldn’t recommend just showing up at a stranger’s door in the American Midwest and expecting to get your favorite dish cooked.

That being said, welcome to my “home” – let’s see what I’ve cooked for you!  In a similar fashion to Iran, we’re going to start with the ever-important rice.  I am increasingly impressed with the variety and creativity of cooking methods and recipes for rice around the world.  In an effort to try another new rice dish, I found inspiration in kibbe.  Iraqi kibbe recipes are varied, but one of the popular ways to make kibbe is cook the rice until it’s soft, add some dried fruit and some beef and grind it all together then wrap it around some spiced ground lamb and deep fry.  To me this sounds like the perfect inspiration for a burger.  So I made saffron rice, mixed in some meat, raisins (I only ad black raisins, golden would be more authentic) and some onion and made a super tasty kibbe cake for the starch.

Next came the meat, and here lamb was the obvious choice – especially since goat is so hard to find in Brookline J Add some baharat (another spice mixture with millions of versions throughout the Middle East) and we’ve got a fragrant and delicious patty.  Just to add a little coolness I made a yogurt sauce with a big helping of fresh mint, some lemon juice and dates for a little bit of sweetness.  By the way, Iraq produces about 80% of the world’s dates.

The final burger is rich and layered, fragrant and tasty, and it is easily one of my favorites.  The fried rice cake is a little heavy, but is balanced well with the yogurt sauce; make sure you portion the sauce generously.

If you enjoy these flavors, you’ll also love the Egypt burger.  Both of these burgers embrace the flavors of the Middle East as I hope you will too (as you can tell, I’m a huge fan)!

Iraqi Burger
1 pound ground lamb
Baharat Spice Mixture (recipe below) reserve ½ teaspoon for rice cake
4 Kibbe Rice Cakes (recipe below)
Yogurt Sauce (recipe below)

Combine the lamb and baharat and form into 4 patties.  Cook to desired temperature.

Baharat Spice Mixture
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine spices in a dry pan over low heat until fragrant.  Reserve ½ teaspoon of spice mixture for rice cake and use the rest for the meat.

Kibbe Rice Cake
1 cup basmati rice
¼ cup hot water
Pinch saffron
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ lb ground beef
¼ cup raisin (preferably golden)
½ teaspoon baharat spice mixture
Peanut oil

Cook rice per package directions.  While rice is cooking add the saffron to the hot water and let it sit until rice is done.  Put cooked rice, saffron and water, beef, raisins and spices into a food processor and pulse until well mixed.

BH&T Iraq Kibbe Cake Prep

Form 4 balls out of the mixture and flatten into discs.  Heat about an inch of peanut oil in a pan.  Fry the discs in the oil then drain on paper towels.

BH&T Iraq Kibbe Rice Cake

Yogurt Sauce
1 cup 2% Greek yogurt
½ cup chopped fresh mint
4 dates chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

BH&T Iraq Yogurt Sauce

 

©Copyright 2013 Linda Monach

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Iranian burger recipe

Posted on March 1, 2013 by linda

BH&T Iran Burger RecipePersian Spiced Lamb Burgers with Saffron Rice and Fresh Herbs

Apparently, were I Iranian, I would be doomed to be a spinster.  Ok, probably not really in modern times, but there is a saying that a woman’s marriagability (I don’t think that’s really a word) is related to her ability to make rice.  And when I say “make rice” I don’t mean plain old-fashioned steam it and serve, I mean Persian rice.  I tried…epic fail!  But I’ll get to the details in a minute, first let’s talk a little bit about Iran and then we can move on to the cooking and especially the rice.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is located in the Middle East and creates a sort of giant land bridge that separates the Caspian Sea and the Persian Golf – I imagine that no geologist would actually call it a bridge, but that’s kind of what it looks like to me.

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

It shares borders with Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkmenistan.  At it’s height, the Persian Empire encompassed all of Iran and most of the surrounding land – today “Persian” and “Iranian” are used pretty much interchangeably in terms of cultural context, especially as we start talking about food.

1.By سبأ (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

1. By سبأ (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

And, although there is a great deal would could talk about beyond the food, Persian cuisine is rich in history and cultural influences and I have so much I want to tell you about the food, that I’m skipping right too it.  Life is too short to spend too much time on politics, I’d rather go for the substance, or the sustenance, I’d rather have dinner 🙂

Persian cuisine and food culture is really cool and exotic and fascinating.  Food plays an important part in the culture of Iran, it’s a food centric country.  Hospitality is extremely important and food is a big part of that.  You will always be offered food when visiting a traditional Iranian household.  I read in one book that you should decline the food with thanks, it will be offered again, you should decline again, etc… until the ritual is done three times then the host will just serve anyway.  As a guest you should thank and compliment profusely (I think that’s a good rule of thumb generally myself).  The best foods are always served to guests (another good general rule), and guests should eat heartily but not be piggy and eat their hosts out of house and home (yet another good rule – liking the manners here).

By Hamed Saber, via Wikimedia Commons

By Hamed Saber, via Wikimedia Commons

Persian cuisine is a symphony of many spices (not hot chilies though), and a balance of sweet and sour.  Fruits are commonly used in savory dishes and Persian cooks pride themselves on complex combinations of tastes that balance perfectly.  Because Iran is so centrally located and Persia extended so far, many flavor traditions have passed back and forth, making Persian food also a balance of cultural influences.  You see hints of India in the use of coriander, cardamom and cinnamon, you see hints of Greece in the stuffed grape leaves and use of yogurt.  The tradition of marinated meat cooked on a skewer (kebab or shwarma) is a Persian method of cooking that is now common across the region and into the Mediterranean.

Iran produces lots of different fruits and vegetables – pomegranates, persimmons, melons, peaches, plums, dates, grapes, eggplant, squash, and cucumbers to name a few.  They also grow almonds and pistachios and walnuts (English walnuts come from Iran) and produce one of the finest quality saffrons around (so I’ve read, I have not had the pleasure of side by side taste testing).  Iran also produces caviar, sturgeon caviar, again said to be one of the finest in the world.  All in all an embarrassment of riches from which to create a great burger – the hardest part was narrowing down the choices 🙂

By سید محمد موسوی اعظم, via Wikimedia Commons

By سید محمد موسوی اعظم, via Wikimedia Commons

So let’s get back to the rice.  Ugh.  Rice is an everyday staple of Persian cooking.  But it isn’t as simple as that, they make rice differently than anyone I’ve encountered so far (or maybe I just didn’t read deeply enough before this).  You don’t have to become an expert on Persian cuisine to realize that this rice is special and that Iranians are particular, everything I read about the food mentioned this.  First, the rice is long grain – similar to basmati (in fact they import basmati from India to supplement local production).  There are two basic ways to cook the rice.  First is “chelo” (this is what I tried and failed to produce).  In chelo, you parboil the rice then drain it and mound it into a pot with oil and a little bit of water.  You steam it and somehow, magically you get a cooked rice with a crispy browned bottom.  The bottom called “tah dig” is what everyone loves and is served separately.  It is a practiced art to create tah dig and I frankly lost patience after three failed attempts.  The best I got was a golden bottom that was unappetizingly crunchy (for my tastes), so I abandoned hope and just made rice.

Total Failure - WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

Total Failure – WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

You can also make kateh – which is rice more similar to the way we produce it here.  Boil rice with butter or oil, salt and water, then simmer until the water is absorbed.  The trick here though is that you also cook it for a while and get that crust that Persians love so much – you turn the pan over and cut the rice like a cake.  No joy for me on this method either – I am truly hopeless.

Once you get good at making chelo and kateh, then you graduate to layered rice dishes – these are served for holidays and special occasions and are a real showpiece for the Persian cook.  Needless to say, I didn’t even attempt them.  When you have 193 recipes to create, you can’t spend months on one country, you’ll go crazy.

Another staple of the Persian table is “sabzi khordan” (spelling varies from one source to another), which is basically a bowl of herbs and veggies that is served with just about everything.  The herb mixture varies and each cook/family has their own traditions, but I stuck with the herbs I saw most often referenced – mint, chives, tarragon, basil, watercress.  You also see cilantro used a lot but since I’m not that big of a fan, I chose to leave it out, feel free to add some if you like that soapy flavor 🙂

Persians, like most foodie cultures it seems, have their own traditional spice mix.  Theirs is called “advieh” and the recipes are myriad.  The use of dried lime is pretty universal and gives a distinctive flavor to Persian food.  You’ll see in Western style recipes that people substitute lime juice for dried lime – don’t do that, just go online and order some dried limes and you’ll understand why.  Yes, they are tart, but there’s a concentrated lime peel flavor that mixes with the tart in a unique and interesting flavor – it’s tart without being bitter and intense without being overwhelming, with a little bit of fruit and earthiness that you just can’t get with any substitution.

The Persian table generally has radishes, something made from eggplant, stews, meats, yogurt, nuts, fruits…a little bit of everything.  Again, my challenge was focus…where to start?  I usually start with the meat, I find that gives me a frame on which to build the flavors of the dish.  In this case I had to go with lamb.  Not only is it a popular meat in Iran, but it also perfectly compliments the sweet and sour  and the spice flavors that we’ve been talking about.  Throw some advieh in to season the lamb and we’re set in the meat department.

I gave up on making tah dig and instead made a simple saffron steamed rice.  I know it’s a cop out, but it was the best I could do and finish this project before I’m too senile to remember which country I’m on.

For toppings I really wanted to make a fruit/veg compote that would pay homage the stewing tradition and bring in some of the sweet and sour flavors in.  So I put together a combination with eggplants and several native fruits along with pomegranate molasses to bring in the sour edge.  Thinly sliced radish gave a nice crunch to the dish along with toasted walnuts (I’m amazed at how yummy nuts can be on a burger!).  A yogurt sauce and some feta gave the dish added creaminess and a little salt kick.  And lastly, to add color and brightness to the dish, some lovely fresh herbs ala sabzi khordan finished it off beautifully.  It’s a lot of moving parts on this burger, but don’t get nervous.  Nothing here is hard to make and almost all of it can be made ahead.  If you slice the radishes ahead of time, just leave them soaking in ice water, it will keep them crisp and fresh.  The only thing you don’t want to do too far ahead of time is the herb mix, basil will brown if it sits too long and the others will wilt, so chop these up last minute.

The final burger is unusual, the flavors are such a mixture of sweet, sour, creamy – it’s actually hard to describe.  I know I get paid big bucks to describe food…oh, wait, I don’t get paid anything!  Phew, now I don’t feel bad that I don’t have the words for this.  You’ll just have to give it a whirl and let me know how you would describe it J

This is a hearty but not heavy burger that we served with a nice pinot noir (which is totally wrong based on the no alcohol rule of Iran, but I’m a rebel).  If you want a more traditional drink, I’m told tea is the most popular beverage in Iran.  Although one more note on that topic; pre-Muslim rule, Iran produced a fair amount of wine.  They still grow grapes and use the grapes in cooking instead today – a bit of a waste of perfectly good grapes in my book, but to each his own.

If you like this burger you should try the Bahrain burger.  It’s a lighter and slightly simpler burger, but has many of the same flavors of the region.

Iran Burger
1 pound ground lamb
1 ½ teaspoon advieh (recipe below)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon peanut oil
2 cups cooked rice (saffron in the cooking water is optional)
4-6 radishes sliced very thin
Crumbled feta cheese
Sweet and Sour Compote (recipe below)
Yoghurt Sauce (recipe below)
Fresh Herbs (recipe below)
4 Tablespoons toasted chopped walnuts

Mix the advieh, salt and lamb together and form into 4 patties.  Heat the oil in a medium skillet, cook patties to desired temperature.

To serve scoop out ½ cup of rice on each plate.  Add a layer of sliced radishes and generous helping of feta cheese, then the cooked patties.  Put a big scoop of compote on top of the burger then add yoghurt sauce, fresh herbs and a Tablespoon of walnuts.

Advieh
1 teaspoon green cardamom seeds (crush about a Tablespoon of pods to get 1 teaspoon of seeds)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
5 whole cloves
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon cumin seed
½ teaspoon orange zest
1 dried lime crushed

Place all ingredients in a dry pan and warm over low heat until fragrant.  Put the spices in a spice blender and pulse until everything is ground up.

Sweet and Sour Compote
1 Tablespoon peanut oil
1 cup cubed eggplant
1 cup chopped Turkish apricots
1 ½ teaspoons advieh
juice of 1 tangerine
2 Tablespoons black raisins
¼ cup pomegranate juice
2 Tablespoons pomegranate molasses

In medium saucepan, heat oil and brown eggplant for three minutes over medium heat.  Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over low heat until syrupy.  Cool slightly and pulse in a food processor until you get a basically even texture.  Use slightly warm or room temperature.

BH&T Iran Sweet and Sour Compote

Yoghurt Sauce
1 cup Greek yoghurt (2% fat)
1 teaspoons minced shallots
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint
salt to taste

Add all ingredients in a glass bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

BH&T Iran Yoghurt Sauce

Fresh Herbs
¼ cup fresh mint chopped
¼ cup fresh chives chopped
¼ cup fresh tarragon chopped
½ cup fresh watercress chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh basil chopped

Combine all ingredients and serve.

 

©Copyright 2013 Linda Monach

 

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Indonesian burger recipe

Posted on January 14, 2013 by linda

Rendang Spiced Burger with Indonesian Fried Rice
I have to admit that I do have some favorites among the cuisines of the world.  I didn’t know it before I started researching this burger, but Indonesian cuisine is definitely a favorite.  Indonesia is the largest archipelagic state in the world, it is made up of 17,500 islands 6,000 of which are inhabited.  It’s located in Southeast Asia and Oceana and borders Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor and is the 4th most populous nation in the world.

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

And let me tell you, Indonesia is gorgeous.  Drop dead gorgeous – mountains, beaches, ancient ruins, all sorts of amazing things to see.  A trip here is definitely on my bucket list, but given that it’s half way around the world, it seems unlikely that I’ll get there soon.  In the meantime, I can enjoy the food and dream 🙂

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

By Thorsten Peters (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

2By Indradi Soemardjan http://www.indrani.net (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

My husband insists that I mention the ring of fire.  I’m pretty sure that’s because he has an uncommonly deep voice and can actually sing along with Johnny Cash, but he claims that has nothing to do with it.  The Pacific Ring of Fire stretches from New Zealand all along the coast of Asia, up around Alaska, back down along the coast of North America and all the way down to Chile.  It contains about 75% of the world’s volcanoes and within this ring 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur.  Indonesia has some of the most active volcanoes; in fact the last estimates were that Indonesia has almost 130 active volcanoes – YIKES!  Earthquakes in this area have resulted in horrific natural disasters – the 2004 tsunami was the deadliest and killed over 230,000 people.  So that’s the ring of fire, now let’s sing a verse of the Johnny Cash song and switch gears to more cheerful stuff.

 

Indonesia has been described as 100 or 200 countries in 1.  There are more than 250 ethnic groups living there.  Because of its location lots of people from all over travel through Indonesia and the melting pot of cultural influences has resulted in a complex and wonderful cuisine with hints of India, China, Japan and even the Netherlands.  Since 86% of the population is Islamic, very little pork is consumed.  Beef is popular (except with the Hindu portion of the population) as is chicken and fish.  Nasi goreng (fried rice) is the national dish of Indonesia and it is consumed daily by many Indonesians.  A key ingredient in Indonesian fried rice is kecap manis – which is a sweet soy sauce.  It reminds me a little of Japanese teriyaki sauce – it makes a really nice rich base for the rice, sweet but not cloying.

Another ingredient that’s used quite a bit is shrimp paste.  Now shrimp paste is one of those ingredients that taste disgusting on its own (like fish sauce), but adds an amazing richness to a sauce.  So buy some, add it to a dish but don’t taste it on its own, and don’t smell it, just trust me and be bold, be brave.

Overall Indonesian food is a balance of complex spices and bold flavors – it isn’t spicy/hot, but it is filled with spice.  I wanted to make a sauce that brought these flavors to life (like a BBQ sauce, but totally not like BBQ flavor).  Since rendang is one of the most common dishes enjoyed in Indonesia, I used rendang to inspire the sauce.  Rendang is a slow cooked beef dish with a variety of spices and coconut milk.  In an online CNN poll (http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/eat/readers-choice-worlds-50-most-delicious-foods-012321) rendang was voted as the #1 Most Delicious Food in the world.  So of course it made a delicious sauce that works great with beef.  This sauce is rich, slightly sweet and complex.  It perfectly complimented the fried rice.  I went with a beef burger with a little bit of spices added in and the combo is now one of my favorites.  The flavors are layered and complex with a little bit of spiciness but not overwhelmingly hot.  The sweet dessert spices give a really exotic overtone to the whole dish.  It’s definitely a hearty dish, a little on the heavy side, but in a lovely way.

There are a ton of ingredients in this dish, and some may require advance planning to find (you can get all of them online or at a local Asian market) but overall it isn’t difficult to make, just gather everything, give yourself time to let the flavors develop and then enjoy.

If you like this burger and want another exotic adventure, try my Bhutan burger – it’s a big notch up on heat and another burger that defies comparison!

Indonesian burger
1 pound 80% ground beef
2 teaspoons sambel olek (chili paste)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Fried Rice (recipe below)
Rendang Sauce (recipe below)
Chopped bok choy leaves
Fried shallots (you can get these at any Asian grocer or online – or make them yourself)

Combine the first five ingredients and form four patties.  Fry the patties to desired temperature in a cast iron skillet.  To serve scoop up some fried rice, add the cooked patties then top with the rendang sauce some chopped bok choy and a sprinkle of fried shallots.

Fried Rice
2 baby bok choy
4 Tablespoons peanut oil
2 Shallots sliced thin
2 cloves of garlic sliced thin
2 red Fresno peppers seeded and sliced thin
4 cups of cooked white rice
2 teaspoons sambel olek
4 teaspoons kecap manis

Slice the bok choy into thin strips and keep the leaves and the stems separate.  Save the leaves for a topping and use only the stems in the rice.  In a medium sauté pan, heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil over med/high until shimmering.  Add the shallots the bok choy stems, garlic and chilies.  Cook stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes.  Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil and the rice and turn heat to medium low.  Add sambel olek and kecap manis and cook for 5-10 minutes stirring and breaking up the rice.  Serve warm.

Rendang Sauce
1 stick cinnamon
6 whole cloves
1 stalk lemon grass (yellow part only)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
¼ teaspoons anise seeds
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon peanut oil
1 shallot diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 red Fresno chilies
1 Tablespoon shrimp paste
2 Tablespoons tamarind concentrate
1 Tablespoon kecap manis
½ cup coconut milk
½ cup water
1 Tablespoon rice flour

In a small dry skillet, heat the cinnamon, cloves and lemon grass over medium heat until fragrant.  Remove from heat and place in a piece of cheesecloth then tie it off.  Add the coriander, anise, fennel and ginger to the pan and heat until fragrant.  Grind these spices in a spice grinder.  In a small sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering.  Add onions, garlic and chilies.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add in the cheesecloth, stir in the shrimp paste, the ground up spices and the rest of the ingredients except the rice flour.  Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.  Whisk in the rice flour until you get a nice thick paste/like consistency.  Serve hot or room temperature.

©Copyright 2013 Linda Monach

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Posted in asian recipes, beef burgers, oceana recipes, south asian recipes | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Indian burger recipe

Posted on December 16, 2012 by linda

Vegetarian Vindaloo Burger with Raita and Cardamom Scented Rice
India is a tough country to describe in just a couple of paragraphs.  It’s ancient with a civilization that dates back to around the 3rd century BC.  It’s big, at over 3MM kilometers, it is the 7th largest country in the world.  And, of course, with 1.2 BILLION people, it is the second most populous country in the world.  So, a brief history of India would take a lot more than a couple of paragraphs, let’s see if we can focus on a few key points and leave the exploration of centuries of history to someone else…deal?

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

 

India is located in Southern Asia bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.  It shares a land border we Pakistan, China, Bhutan, Nepal, Burma and Bangladesh.  Sri Lanka and Maldives are not far away across the seas. So, while it’s only about a third the size of the US, India has mountains, deserts, sandy beaches and just about everything in between.  As a result of all of this the food in India is highly varied both regionally and ethnically.

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Over 80% of the population is Hindu, so pretty much no one eats beef in India.  It’s also important to note that while only 13% of the population is Muslim, that’s still a lot of Muslims so we don’t see much pork consumed here either.  Although it has a reputation of vegetarianism, only about 30% of the population is technically vegetarian.  However, because of widespread poverty and limited access to proteins, most Indians get most of their calories from non-meat sources (although I’m including dairy – dairy is pretty widely consumed).

I do love a challenge and I find vegetarian burgers challenging (usually to eat, but that’s a different story), so I couldn’t resist taking on vegetarian for India.  I think the trick to making a satisfying veggie burger is to embrace it for what it is and not try to make it seem like meat, so that’s what I’ve done here.  There are lots of tasty vegetables and some garbanzo beans and flour help hold them all together.  The flavor is exactly what I had hoped, layered, complex and exotic.

Of course you can’t just get that from vegetables, it’s really the spice that is so critical here.  Indian food is all about the spice and there are a number of classic spice blends that are used in traditional Indian cooking.  For this burger I decided I wanted to bring a little more heat than I did with the Bangladeshi burger, so I went with a vindaloo spice blend.  Vindaloo is again one of those blends for which there are probably millions of recipes.  For mine I used dried dundicut peppers – mainly because I couldn’t resist buying them during one of my Penzey’s buying sprees (no I am not compensated for endorsing Penzey’s), and because they are both hot and grown in the region (in Pakistan).  You can use any dried hot pepper you like, spicier peppers would be authentic, but use what you like, that’s far more important than authenticity.

You can also purchase pre-made vindaloo spice blend.  I’m not a fan of the pre-made blends because I like to control the flavor of my dish.  Spice is such an important part of Indian food, I just can’t bring myself to shortcut it.  But again, I don’t judge…well at least I won’t judge you for using the pre-mixed stuff – not everyone is a control freak like I am, and not everyone is the spice whore that I am.  So if you find yourself needing to buy a whole bunch of new spices and cursing me, just get the blend instead and pour yourself a glass of wine and relax.

To balance the heat of the vindaloo, I made a raita.  Raita is a yoghurt sauce that you can get at most Indian restaurants; it is a terrific side dish and one of the best ways to tame food that is too spicy.  I never order Indian without it, so please, give it a try.  Lastly, I put this burger on cardamom scented rice – it makes for a simple looking but amazingly complex dish, I’m already wishing I could have another.  If you like Indian food, I think you’ll love this burger.  If you aren’t a fan of Indian, this might be too aromatic and spicy for your tastes – try the Bangladesh burger first, if you like that burger you may be surprised how much you’ll like this one.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays to all!

Indian Burger
1 small eggplant diced (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1½ Tablespoon peanut oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped cauliflower
2 Tablespoons Vindaloo Paste (recipe below)
1 cup garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
2 Tablespoons flour
Cardamom Scented Rice (recipe below)
1 tomato sliced
Raita (recipe below)
Cilantro chopped (optional)

Place the chopped eggplant in a large glass bowl and sprinkle with salt – toss to coat, then let the eggplant sit for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, in a medium sauté pan, heat the peanut oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions and sauté for about 3 minutes or until they are beginning to turn translucent.  Add the cauliflower and the vindaloo paste.  Stir and cover – cook over medium/low heat for 5 minutes.

Drain and blot dry the eggplant.  Add it to the pan.  Cover and cook for another 15 minutes.  Add the chick peas and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and let the mixture cool a bit.  Pulse in a food processor until chunky.  Add the flour and pulse until mixed through.

Separate the mixture into four portions and form four patties.  In a large skillet, heat 1-2 Tablespoons of peanut oil until shimmering.  Add the patties and cook until you get a nice brown crust, turn the patties and cook the other side to match.

To serve start with a scoop of rice on each plate, add tomatoes, cooked patties, a generous scoop of raita and top with cilantro.

Vindaloo Paste
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
4 dried dundicut peppers (or other dried hot pepper)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove of garlic grated
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt

In a dry pan, toast the first 5 ingredients until fragrant.  Grind them into a fine powder in a spice grinder.  Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until you get a paste.  You can store this in the freezer for a couple of months and it will keep its flavor.

Cardamom Scented Rice
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups water
12 whole green cardamom pods lightly bruised

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook 20 minutes or until rice is cooked through.  Remove the cardamom pods before you serve if you don’t want your guests to get a big bight of cardamom.

Raita
½ cup shredded cucumber
1 cup 2% Greek yoghurt
½ cup shredded carrot
½ teaspoon Garam Masala (follow this link for recipe)
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Squeeze the cucumber to remove excess water.  Combine all ingredients and adjust spice to taste.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes then adjust spice again and serve cold.

 

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©Copyright 2012 Linda Monach

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