Lamb burgers with mint mayo and tomato relish

Ingredients

For the burgers

• 50g/1¾oz fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 small bunch fresh coriander, chopped
• 1½ tsp mint sauce
• 1 large red onion, roughly chopped
• 500g/1lb 2oz lean lamb mince
• 1 tbsp olive oil, for frying
• 8 lettuce leaves, to serve
• 8 brioche buns, to serve
• 3 gherkins, thinly sliced, to serve
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tomato relish

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup, or a pinch of sugar

For the mint mayonnaise

• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tsp chopped mint
• 1 tsp mint sauce

Method

1. For the burgers, put the breadcrumbs, garlic, coriander, mint sauce, onion and salt and black pepper in a food processor. Blend until it’s just combined with a fairly coarse texture. Tip into a bowl, add the mince and mix together. Using wet hands, shape into 8 burgers, then place on a baking tray, cover and chill in the fridge until needed.

2. For the tomato relish, heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic, then cover with a lid and fry over a medium heat for 5–7 minutes, or until soft. Add all the remaining ingredients to the pan, stir, bring to the boil and cook for 2–3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then cover again with the lid, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes.

3. For the mint mayonnaise, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.

4. To cook the burgers, heat the oil in a large frying pan, or alternatively light the barbecue and let the flames flare up and die down. Fry or barbecue the burgers for about 3–4 minutes on each side or until browned and cooked through.

5. To serve, slice the buns in half and toast the cut side. Spread one half of each bun with the tomato relish and add a lettuce leaf, a burger, a dollop of mint mayonnaise and a few slices of gherkin before popping on the top half of the bun.

Tips

If covered well individually in cling film, the raw burgers freeze well.

Once the minced lamb is mixed with the other burger ingredients and seasoning, fry a small spoonful so that you can taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.