40 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 6
About the recipe
Serve this really tasty, easy homemade burger recipe with your favourite toppings.
Ingredients
12 Jacob's cream crackers
8 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
optional: 2 heaped teaspoons Dijon mustard
500g quality minced beef
1 large free-range egg
olive oil
1 cos or round lettuce
3 ripe tomatoes
1 red onion
3-4 gherkins
optional: 6 slices of Cheddar cheese
6 quality burger buns
Top Tip
Once you’ve mastered this tasty basic recipe, you can make it your own with different herbs, spices and toppings. The sky’s the limit – that’s why cooking is so exciting.
Method
- Wrap the crackers in a tea towel and smash up until fine, breaking up any big bits with your hands, then tip into a large bowl.
- Finely chop the parsley (stalks and all), then add to the bowl with the mustard (if using), and the minced beef.
- Crack the egg into the bowl, then add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
- With clean hands, scrunch and mix everything up well. Divide into 6 and pat and mould each piece into a roundish shape, roughly 2cm thick.
- Place the burgers onto a plate, drizzle with oil, then cover and place in the fridge until needed – this will help to firm them up.
- To cook the burgers, preheat a large griddle or frying pan for 4 minutes on a high heat, then turn the heat down to medium.
- Place the burgers on the griddle or into the pan, then use a spatula to lightly press them down, making sure the burger is in full contact with the pan.
- Cook the burgers for 3 or 4 minutes on each side, depending on how you like them – you may need to work in batches.
- Meanwhile, wash and dry a few small lettuce leaves, tearing up the larger ones. Slice the tomatoes, peel and finely slice the red onion, then slice the gherkins lengthways as finely as you can.
- Place all the veg toppings, and the cheese (if using) on a platter and put in the middle of the table with plates, cutlery, ketchup and drinks.
- Once cooked, remove the burgers to a plate and carefully wipe the pan clean with a ball of kitchen paper.
- Halve the burger buns and lightly toast them in the pan, then serve up.
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