Great British Chefs’ blogger Chris Osburn was looking for an affordable, easy and tasty recipe to make from our site. He found himself with an hour or so to spare at the weekend and thought he'd try making Marcus Wareing's cheeseburgers with caramelised onions.
All photography by Chris Osburn
Vegetarian girlfriend out of the flat for a few hours? Check.
Full pot of coffee brewed? Check.
Podcasts missed from a three week digital media break over Christmas the New Years queued up and ready to play? Check.
All right then, time to make some burgers. And not just any burgers. Mega-yum and mega-massive cheeseburgers a la Marcus Wareing's 'cheese burger with caramelised onions' recipe.
Making these cheeseburgers was my first attempt at a Great British Chefs recipe. Listed as 'easy' and taking a little more than a hour from start to finish to complete, I found the instructions simple and straightforward. Many of the ingredients were already in my cupboard and fridge anyway, and all would be on sale at even the most average of supermarkets with none of the items especially dear with respect to price or availability.
The ingredients of the recipe added up to burgers that were downright intriguing. The caramelised onions heavy on the thyme (I threw in a pinch or so more than the advised one tablespoon) with the hummus and Emmental created a wow of a flavour melange. I never would have thought of using hummus as a hamburger condiment … or that it would go so well with Emmental. The hummus I used was especially rich in tahini, and I reckon that added a lot to the overall taste and gave a really creamy texture to each bite.
Emmental was definitely the right cheese for these burgers too. Nutty and noticeable without overpowering the other ingredients, it allowed the herbs to have their say and for the beef remain the prominent component. It's a great cheese to be sure. And although I'm definitely a fan of Cheddar, American and a range of other cheeses for my burgers, I think for this particular recipe, substituting another cheese would run the risk of screwing up the balance.
Next time (and I'm certain there will be a next time) I fry these bad boys up, I might add a wee bit of oregano or marjoram to the mix and spike it with a tad more than Wareing's suggested two tablespoons of tarragon (but not much more). I might even add an extra clove or two of garlic. But I'd try my hardest to replicate the hummus to Emmental to caramelised onions ratios of my original attempt. Gorgeous.
I had a lot of fun with this recipe. The results were pretty awesome too – a glorious all day meal just for me as a reward immediately after making the burgers, followed up a couple of days later with some much appreciated and quickly vanished sliders that I reassembled from the leftovers for a small get together with a few friends. These were the best burgers I've had in a very long time, among the tastiest I've ever made for myself and ones that will influence how I make burgers from here on. Additionally, I expect the recipe to serve me well as a template for future meatball and meatloaf making.
Wareing's cheeseburgers offer a great opportunity for kitchen novices and folks looking for a big return on little investment to cook like a Michelin starred chef minus a lot of hassle. Any carnivore would be glad to sink his or her teeth into one of these babies.
And those foodies (here in London anyway) who might be feeling a bit burned out by the recent gourmet burger craze should enjoy these treats as a fresh take on a tried and true classic. If you're hoping to treat yourself or impress your guests without spending a small fortune or getting in over your head with a complex recipe, here's a big, meaty chance to succeed in the kitchen
Marcus Wareing's Cheeseburger with caramelised onions were made by Chris Osburn More of Chris’s photos can be found on this link.
Have you ever tried making burgers yourself? What are your favourite ingredients for them & what do you like to serve them with? We're discussing this over on Great British Chefs Facebook Page