Food & Wine
Valli Little’s not-your-average burger recipe
Certainly not a common burger, this is a juicy wagyu beef patty with lashings of homemade béarnaise sauce, all topped with fries served inside the bun. It’s definitely a special occasion treat, but well worth it. Of course, if you want to simplify the dish you can always use frozen thin oven chips (but don’t tell anyone).
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup chopped tarragon
- 1⁄3 cup (80ml) white wine vinegar
- 160g unsalted butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 500g wagyu beef mince
- 2 eschalots or 1 small onion, coarsely grated
- 1 tbsp. chopped thyme leaves
- 2 potatoes, peeled, cut into matchsticks
- Sunflower oil, to deep-fry, plus extra, to brush
- 4 brioche buns
- Rocket leaves, to serve
Method:
- Place half the tarragon and the vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the liquid reduces to 2 tbsp. Strain and discard the tarragon. Set aside to cool. In a clean saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
- Place the egg yolks in a small food processor or blender with the reduced vinegar. Blend for a few seconds to combine. With the motor running, slowly add the butter, starting with a drop at a time then increasing to a thin stream as the sauce thickens. Season and stir in the remaining tarragon. Set aside but don’t refrigerate.
- Combine the beef, onion and thyme in a bowl. Form into four equal-sized patties. Chill until ready to use.
- Pat the potatoes dry with paper towel. Half-fill a deep-fryer or large saucepan with sunflower oil and heat to 180°C (a cube of bread will turn golden in 35 seconds when the oil is hot enough). Fry the chips, in batches if necessary, for 2–3 minutes until just starting to turn golden. Drain on paper towel.
- Preheat oven to 160°C.
- Preheat a chargrill pan over medium–high heat or a barbecue to medium–high. Brush the patties with a little oil and cook for 2 minutes each side until charred but still juicy inside. Pop in the oven to keep warm. Place the brioche buns cut side down on the grill until warmed and lightly charred.
- Refry the chips for a further 2–3 minutes while the burgers are cooking until they are golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel.
- Place the patties on the bun bases, top with rocket, fries and a good drizzle of béarnaise. Top with the bun lids. Serve any extra fries and béarnaise on the side.
Recipe courtesy of My Kind of Food by Valli Little, published by ABC Books.