We all enjoy a burger straight from the barbecue but why not add an interesting twist to a classic? Here’s Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe for barbecued Venison Burgers from Channel 4′s River Cottage:
Makes 10 burgers
Ingredients
- 1 tsp juniper berries
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp sage leaves
- 2 tsp white peppercorns
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1.5kg venison meat
- 500g fatty pork (i.e. belly)
- a little white wine
- a couple of apples
- good quality oil for frying
- knob of butter
- 10 baps
Method
- Put 1 tsp juniper berries, 3 bay leaves, 1 tbsp sage leaves, 2 tsp white peppercorns and 1 tbsp salt into a coffee or spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Combine 1.5kg venison meat with 500g fatty pork (i.e. belly) and put through a mincer on a coarse (8mm) plate. You can get your butcher to do the mincing for you.
- Add the spice powder to the minced meat, and mix well, adding a little white wine to achieve a good, moist-but-firm texture. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, make a patty out of the mixture and fry it for about 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Taste to check the seasoning.
- When you’re happy, form the minced, spiced meat into patties about 2cm thick and fry or barbecue them for 3-4 minutes each side, until nicely browned and cooked through. Serve in good-quality baps, augmented by a few slices of hot, butter-fried apple.
Credit: Channel 4 Food (River Cottage)
