Homemade lamb burgers with plums

Introducing fruit to your dinner is a fantastic way to revamp old dishes with exciting new flavours. In this recipe adapted from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's "River Cottage Fruit every day!" we've used roasted plums to sweeten the lightly spiced lamb burgers. They deserved nothing less than to be served on freshly made buns.

A fruity take on a meaty burger

Ingredients

For 8 buns (adapted from www.theclevercarrot.com)
- 2 tsp of instant yeast
- 250 ml of tepid water
- 3 tbsp of milk
- 2.5 tbsp of granulated sugar
- 260 g of strong white bread flour
- 125 g of wholemeal bread flour
- 55 g of plain flour
- 2 medium sized eggs
- 1.5 tsp of sea salt
- 35 g of softened unsalted butter
- Sesame seeds (optional)

For 4 burgers
- 600 g of lamb leg steak
- 1 finely chopped medium onion
- 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
- 1/2 deseeded and finely chopped red chilli
- 1 tsp of ground coriander
- 1/2 of fine sea salt
- 1 tsp of coarse ground black pepper
- Splash of olive oil for frying

For the roast plums
- 4 plums
- 25 g of butter
- 2 tsp of caster sugar
- Fine ground black pepper

Preparing the buns

Mix the water, milk, yeast and sugar in a small bowl and leave for 5 minutes until foamy.

Meanwhile, add the flours, salt and butter to another bowl and mix either by hand or by using a kitchen robot with a cake beater attachment (for example, Kenwood K-beater) until the mixture resembles small breadcrumbs. Slightly beat one egg and add it to the flour mixture together with the foamy yeast. Work the ingredients for long enough to achieve a well blended dough and knead for 10 minutes by hand or by using a kitchen robot with dough hook. Remove the dough hook and cover the bowl for one hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

After rising, remove the dough from the bowl and gently knock out the air by pressing it all over with stretched out fingers. Weigh the dough (you should have approximately 840 grams) and divide into 8 equal portions so that the buns will bake evenly. Shape the portions into small rounds and place them on a baking tray lined with grease proof paper. Cover lightly with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place to proof for 30 to 45 minutes. The dough should double in size. Meanwhile, preheat the (fan-assisted) oven to 220 degrees Celsius.

Before putting the buns in the oven, slightly beat the remaining egg and brush each one carefully. For extra crunch, sprinkle the buns with sesame or other seeds of your liking. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven and leave to cool down. Meanwhile, focus your attention on frying the burgers and roasting the plums.

Great with burgers but also lovely for breakfast

Preparing the burgers 

Cut the steaks into large cubes and mince twice with the finest screen. Alternatively, you can use ready minced lamb. In a large bowl mix together the meat, onion, garlic, chilli, coriander, salt and pepper. This is best done by hand to ensure all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Cover the bowl with cling film and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

Once the flavours have seeped into the lamb, divide the mince into four equal portions. Shape each burger by making a ball with your hands and pressing it down with your palm to 1 inch thick discs. Set aside and prepare the plums by first stoning and halving them. Then put a knob of butter in the centre of each half and sprinkle with sugar and pepper. Place in an oven-proof dish and roast for approximately 20 minutes until the fruit is soft and starts to caramelise.

Whilst the plums are roasting, coat the burgers with olive oil and fry in a hot pan for 6 minutes on each side.

Slice four of the buns in half and put in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes prior to taking out the plums. Assemble the burgers by placing the meat and roasted fruit in between the bread slices.