Moroccan Lamb Burgers with Mint Aïoli
These easy lamb burgers are inspired by Moroccan ingredients. As seen on the hit BBC series Britain's Best Home Cook, they are packed with flavour thanks to the addition of dried apricots and harissa.
Introduction
These delicious burgers, full of flavour from the fresh mint and the gentle heat of the harissa, will transport you to the souks and medinas of north Africa. The burgers can be shaped up to a day in advance and stored in the fridge, ready to cook at a moment’s notice.
Ingredients
| ½ | onion, peeled |
| 2 | garlic cloves, peeled |
| 100g (4oz) | ready-to-eat dried apricots |
| 2 tsp | ground cumin |
| 25g (1oz) | fresh mint leaves |
| 500g (1lb 2oz) | minced lamb shoulder (15–20 percent fat content) |
| 50g (2oz) | fresh white breadcrumbs |
| 2 tbsp | harissa paste |
| 120g (4½ oz) | feta, crumbled |
| 1 tsp | sea salt |
| sunflower oil, for frying | |
| For the mint aïoli: | |
| 200g (7oz) | good-quality mayonnaise |
| juice of ½ lime | |
| 2 | garlic cloves, crushed |
| 20g (¾ oz) | fresh mint, finely chopped |
| pinch of sea salt | |
| To serve: | |
| 2 | Little Gem lettuces, shredded |
| 2 tbsp | pomegranate seeds (optional) |
| 4 | brioche burger buns, halved |
| ¼ | cucumber, halved and thinly sliced |
Essential kit
You will need: a food processor.
Method
1. For the mint aïoli, combine all the ingredients in a bowl, cover and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/180˚C fan/gas 6.
3. For the burgers, put the onion, garlic, apricots, cumin and mint leaves into a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the minced lamb, breadcrumbs, harissa, feta and salt. Combine until thoroughly mixed: the best way to do this is using your hands. Fry a teaspoon of the mixture to test the seasoning: taste and adjust with a little more salt if necessary. Divide the mixture into four and shape into burgers.
4. Heat a little oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Add the burgers and fry for 3–4 minutes on each side until evenly browned. Put the pan into the oven to bake for 10–12 minutes, until the burgers are just cooked through.
5. To serve, put some of the shredded lettuce and pomegranate seeds (if using) onto the base of each burger bun. Top with a burger, some cucumber and mint aïoli and the remaining half of the bun. Serve immediately.
