Ultimate Burgers of Beefage with Potato Wedgeage

Simple though it is, the humble burger can be fantastic. There's a great market here in Norwich, so I got some excellent minced beef with which to make these burgers. They're also easy to make, which is nice. Experiment with different kinds of mustard or herbs (rosemary also goes well) or try adding some chopped chilli.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (but not your Dad's broken New Seekers record that plays "I'd like to teach the world to sing-sing-sing-sing" etc.) I'm going to remind you to get good mince for this recipe. Go to the butcher's! Now, damnit! OK, you can read the blog first if you want, then you can go.

This recipe will serve 4 people and takes about 40 minutes, all in all.

Ingredients:

• 500g minced beef
• About 4 medium-large potatoes
• 2-3 rosemary sprigs
• Leaves from 4 thyme sprigs
• Handful of parsley leaves
• 2 red onions
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 tbsps tomato ketchup
• 3-4 tsps wholegrain mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil for drizzling
• 2 tomatoes
• A few lettuce leaves
• 4 white burger buns

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 210 degrees.
2. Thoroughly wash the potatoes, then chop them into 8 even-sized wedges. Put them in a saucepan of cold water, add a pinch of salt, bring it to the boil and simmer briskly for 3-5 minutes, depending on the size of the wedges.
3. Drain the water and put the saucepan back on the ring for a minute or so with the heat off/very low so that the water can evaporate, shaking regularly to help stop them from sticking. Put them in a roasting tin, skin-side down. Chop four of the garlic gloves into quarters and sprinkle over the wedges, along with bunches of rosemary leaves plucked from the sprigs. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in the top shelf of the oven for 35 minutes (most recipes will tell you to do them for 20 but I find they always take longer).
4. Meanwhile, make the burgers. Dice the onions, finely chop the remaining two garlic cloves, roughly chop the parsley. Mix them all together with the meat, mustard, ketchup and seasoning. Create four balls with your hands and flatten them into burger shapes.
5. Heat a little olive oil in a reasonably hot griddle pan. Put the burgers in the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the burgers.
6. Serve in toasted buns with torn lettuce leaves and tomato slices.

NOTE: Many recipes will tell you to add beaten egg and/or breadcrumbs to the mixture to help it bind. In my experience, beaten egg is counterproductive as it just makes it sloppy. As for breadcrumbs, I've never found it necessary to add them, but then I always make my burgers in a griddle pan or a George Foreman grill, so if you wanted to put these burgers on the barbecue or under the grill some breadcrumbs might help.