Serves 4
THE BURGERS
lean beef or lamb mince 400g
spring onions 5, finely chopped
carrots 140g, finely grated
garlic cloves 2, finely chopped
dijon mustard 2 tsp (try Roland available at gourmet stores)
tarragon 1 tbsp, chopped
egg 1 medium, beaten
salt and pepper to season
multigrain bread buns 4, split into half
rapeseed oil 1 1/2 tsp, for brushing (try La Palisse available at gourmet stores)
watercress or arugula leaves 25g
THE ROASTED PEPPER SALSA
red peppers 2 large, halved lengthways and deseeded
cherry tomatoes 100g, halved
lime juice 2 tsp
chives or garlic shoots 2 tsp, snipped
red onion 1/4 small, thinly sliced
crushed chillies a pinch
pepper a pinch, to taste
salt to taste (optional)
Tip the mince into a bowl with the spring onions, grated carrot, garlic, mustard, tarragon and egg. Mix well using a fork. Season well, then divide the mixture into 4 parts. Flatten each piece with your hands into a 10cm round, about 2cm thick – a similar width to the buns. Chill for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200°C. Lay the peppers, cut sides down, on a non-stick baking sheet. Roast for 35 minutes until the skins are charred, laying the tomatoes next to them, cut-side up, for the final 3 minutes just to soften. Remove and immediately transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover with cling-film. Leave for 5-10 minutes until cool enough to handle. Peel off the pepper skins, chop the peppers and tip them back into the bowl to join any juices there. Chop the tomatoes and stir into the peppers with the lime juice, chives, onion and chillies. Taste and add a grind of pepper if needed. Set aside.
Heat a griddle pan, or cook the burgers on the barbecue. Lay the cut sides of the buns on the griddle and cook until marked with the griddle bars. Brush each burger on one side with some rapeseed oil. Place on the hot griddle, oiled side down. Cook – don’t move them or they may stick – for 5 minutes. Brush the unoiled side with the rest of the oil, then turn and cook for another 5 minutes. (For well done, add an extra 1-2 minutes to each side.)
Remove and let the burgers rest for 2-3 minutes. Drizzle a little of the pepper juices over the bottom of each bun to moisten, lay on some watercress, top with a burger, then a spoonful of the salsa, spooning over some more of the juices. Sandwich together with the tops of the buns.