Spiced lamb burgers
Homemade burgers with a touch of north African spice
Burgers or meatballs are great for getting a production line going with kids—it’s good to include them in the tasting and seasoning too. You could always make a double quantity and freeze some.
Ingredients
1-2 banana shallots, depending on size
1kg minced lamb
2 heaped tsp baharat spice mix
1 tsp salt
Method
Dice the shallot as finely as possible and then mix all the ingredients together with your hands in a large bowl.
Press together a small coin of the lamb mixture and fry it off in a pan with just a spot of vegetable oil. Taste. Now assess whether you want to up the spices or salt.
Divide the meat mixture into 6 round patties—a press works very well, especially if cooking on a barbecue when a looser texture can be prone to falling apart. Chilling the burgers for at least 1 hour will also help them hold together well.
Fry, grill or barbecue the burgers for about 4-5 mins on each side, until they feel firm and are just cooked through.
ALTERNATIVE: Try seasoning with fresh thyme and sweet smoked paprika for a bit of Spanish flavour, or season with lemon zest and oregano for a Greek touch.
Recipe: Jenny Chandler
Images: John Holdship