TV Dinners …On A Roll (Part 1)

A handful of heaven, an icon of layered finesse – it takes a certain kind of mind to see beauty in a hamburger. These gorgeous creations are so flipping’ good they’ll convert even the most die-hard vegans

Harissa Chicken Burgers With Pineapple Relish, Aioli And Vegetable Crisps

Serves 4

Preparation: 30 minutes

Cooking: 20 minutes

·         Butter 2T

·         Onion 1, thickly sliced

·         Brown mushrooms 125 g, halved

·         Harissa paste 1T

·         Olive oil 1T, plus extra for frying

·         Chicken breasts 4, skinned and deboned

·         Baguette 1, for serving

For the aioli:

·         Garlic 3 cloves, crushed

·         Free-range egg 1

·         Free-range egg yolk 1

·         Lemon 1, juiced

·         Water 21

·         Vegetable oil ½ cup

·         Salt, to taste

For the pineapple relish, mix:

·         Pineapple 1, peeled and roughly diced

·         Yellow mustard seeds 11, toasted

·         Olive oil 1T

·         Honey 1T

For the vegetable crisps:

·         Vegetable oil 3 cups

·         Beetroot 3, thinly sliced

·         Parsnips 4, thinly sliced lengthways

·         Beauregard (orange) sweet potatoes 2, thinly sliced lengthways

·         Sea salt, to taste

Harissa Chicken Burgers with Pineapple Relish, Aioli And Vegetable Crisps

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Melt 1T butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry until golden, then remove from the pan. Melt the remaining butter in the same pan over a medium heat and fry the mushrooms until golden.
2. Mix the harissa paste and olive oil and coat the chicken breasts in the mixture. Heat a grill pan over a high heat. Chargrill the chicken breasts for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking tray, brush with any remaining harissa mixture and finish in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until cooked through but still succulent and tender. Slice diagonally.
3. Slice the baguette into quarters, then slice open each quarter. Fry, cut-side down, in hot oil until golden and toasted.
4. Assemble the burger by layering the aioli, fried onions, sliced chicken breast, fried mushrooms and a spoonful of pineapple relish between two toasted baguette slices. Serve with the vegetable crisps.
5. To make the aioli, blend the garlic, egg, egg yolk, lemon juice and water. While blending, slowly pour in the vegetable oil in a steady stream. Season to taste
6. To make the vegetable crisps, heat the oil in a large saucepan. Carefully drop batches of first the beetroot, then the parsnips and sweet potato into the hot oil and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden and crisp. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Season

Wine: Paul Cluver Chardonnay 2010

Mini Lamb Burgers With Roast Peppers, Black Olive Salsa And Tzatziki

Makes 8 burgers

Preparation: 20 minutes, plus chilling time

Cooking: 10 minutes

·         Red peppers 2, halved and seeded

·         Olive oil 4T

·         Lamb mince 500 g

·         Red onion 1, finely chopped

·         Dried oregano 21

·         Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         Small bread rolls 8, halved

·         Hummus, for serving

·         Fresh coriander, to garnish

For the tzatziki:

·         Gherkin cucumbers 2

·         Plain Greek-style yoghurt 1 cup

·         Lemon 1, juiced and zested

·         Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the black olive salsa, mix:

·         Red onion 1, chopped

·         Black kalamata olives 100 g, pitted and quartered

·         Italian parsley 2 T roughly chopped

·         Olive oil 1T

Mini Lamb Burgers With Roast Peppers, Black Olive Salsa And Tzatziki

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Coat the peppers in 2 T olive oil and place, skin-side up, on a baking tray. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes until the skin blisters. Transfer to a bowl and cover with cling wrap. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the lamb mince, red onion, oregano and seasoning. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape into small patties. Chill for 30 minutes.
3. Fry the patties in the remaining oil for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking tray and finish in the oven for 4 minutes.
4. Toast the bread rolls on a hot grill pan until golden. Meanwhile, remove the skins from the roasted peppers.
5. To make the tzatziki, use a vegetable peeler to slice the cucumbers into thin ribbons. Combine the cucumber, yoghurt, and lemon juice and zest in a mixing bowl. Season to taste and chill until ready to assemble.
6. To assemble the burgers, spread a generous layer of hummus on half a grilled roll.Top with roasted peppers, a lamb patty and a dollop of tzatziki. Finish with black olive salsa, a sprig of fresh coriander and the remaining half of the roll.

Wine: Flagstone Dragon Tree 2009

Butter Bean Burgers With Fried Brinjal, Coleslaw And Mint-And-Coriander Coconut Cream

Serves 4

Preparation: 20 minutes, plus chilling time

Cooking: 20 minutes

·         Butter beans 1 x 400 g can, drained and mashed

·         Cooked quinoa 50 g

·         Fennel 1 bulb, finely chopped

·         Fennel sprigs 1 T finely chopped

·         Garlic 1 clove, crushed

·         Fessicated coconut 21, toasted

·         Flour 50 g, plus extra for dusting

·         Free-range egg 1, beaten

·         Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         Vegetable oil, for frying

·         Small naan breads 4, for serving

·         Deep-fried julienne sweet potato, to garnish

For the coleslaw:

·         Red cabbage 1 cup shredded

·         Green cabbage 1 cup shredded

·         Spring onions 2, thinly sliced

·         Red chilli 1, finely chopped

·         Coriander 1T finely chopped

·         Good-quality mayonnaise 1 cup

·         Lemon 1, juiced

·         Granny Smith apple 1, thinly sliced

For the fried brinjal:

·         Large brinjal 1, sliced into 1 cm discs

·         Sea salt, for sprinkling

·         Free-range egg 1, beaten

·         Chickpea flour 100 g

·         Olive oil, for frying

For the mint-and-coriander coconut cream, blend:

·         Coconut cream 1 cup

·         Gherkin cucumber 1, grated

·         Ginger 1 x 4 cm piece, finely grated

·         Mint 3 T chopped

·         Coriander 2 T chopped

·         Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Butter Bean Burgers With Fried Brinjal, Coleslaw And Mint-And-Coriander Coconut Cream

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Combine the butter beans, quinoa, fennel, garlic, coconut, flour, egg and seasoning in a mixing bowl. Divide into 4 equal portions, shape into large patties and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Lightly dust the butter bean patties with flour and fry until crisp and golden on both sides.Transfertoa baking tray and finish in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until cooked through.
3. To make the coleslaw, combine the cabbage, spring onion, chili and coriander in a large mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise and stir through. Drizzle the lemon juice over the sliced apple, add to the coleslaw mixture and stir through.
4. To make the fried brinjal, generously sprinkle each disc with salt, place on a wire rack and allow standing for 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly in cold water and pat dry. Dip the discs into the beaten egg, then coat in chickpea flour. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Fry the brinjals on both sides until golden. Transfer to a baking tray lined with kitchen paper and bake for 15 minutes until tender and browned.
5. To assemble the burgers, layer coleslaw, a butter bean patty, mint-and-coriander coconut cream, fried brinjal and more coleslaw between two pieces of charred naan bread. Serve with the remaining coconut cream and deep-fried julienne sweet potato.

Meat-free, dairy-free

Wine: Hartenberg Merlot 2009