Lamb & Hummus burger

I have loved good Hummus for a few years now, even though I was a bit hesitant at first. The pale, creamy ‘paste’ didn’t seem like it would be something I would fall in love with at first taste, but that’s exactly what happened. I started eating it on/with anything and everything to the point that I could not look another bowl of hummus in the face. I hadn’t eaten hummus for about a year until Mediterranean Delicacies sent me a tub of their hummus and I wasn’t too excited to work with it, I have to be honest. I felt uninspired and didn’t know what to do with it, other than use it as a spread or a dip for crudite (which is what I normally used it for). When I opened the tub the smell of chickpeas, tahini and garlic hit me and as I tasted it, it felt as if a whole world unfolded in front of me. Unlike a few year’s ago when I was still slightly inexperienced when it came to recipe development, I now had a plethora of recipe ideas I could play with.

Even though I still love eating hummus in a toasted pita with ripe tomatoes and lots of salt, this burger idea is definitely a lot more fantastic. The texture of hummus is perfect to use as a binder in burgers (where you would normally use egg or cheese). Just make sure that you don’t add too much as it can make the burger mix very pasty. A tablespoon or two is more than enough. I decided to add Provolone cheese to the top of the patties as they were frying and then used watercress, mayo, fresh tomato, red onion and fresh jalapeno’s to build the burger.  The hummus flavours the lamb perfectly and the end result is a lovely aromatic, moist burger patty. Perfect food for Weekend eating!

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Makes 4 Burgers for the lamb patties 1 red onion, very finely chopped (I use my food processor to mince it) 1 garlic clove, crushed 600g lamb mince (ground lamb) 1-2 tbsp Mediterranean Delicacies Hummus 2 tsp salt 1 tsp ground pepper 1 tsp ground coriander 4 slices provolone cheese to assemble the burgerburger buns mayonnaise watercress (or any other greens you prefer) sliced tomato sliced red onion sliced jalapenos

1. Fry the onion and garlic in a little oil until soft and translucent. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine the lamb mince, hummus, seasonings and fried onion and garlic. Mix well and, with wet hands, form 4 burger patties. Place the patties on a tray lined with baking paper/cling film and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. When the patties have chilled properly, fry them in a non-stick frying pan in a little oil until golden brown and cooked through (about 5-6 minutes per side). 2 minutes before the burgers are ready, place the sliced provolone cheese ontop and allow to melt.
4. To assemble the burger. Place a good dollop of mayonnaise on the bottom half of a burger bun, followed by watercress, the burger patties, tomato, red onion and jalapenos.

Mediterranean Delicacies can be found at select Pick n Pay, Shoprite Checkers, Spar, Fruit & Veg City and independent retailers nationwide.

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