turkey burgers: my recipe.

Okie Doke.

I cooked up some lip smackin' turkey burgers for dinner tonight. And while I must admit, I wasn't quite sure about them at first, I ended up being very pleased with the outcome. Here's what's up:

1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small granny smith apple, medium dice
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons Pear Preserves
1 tablespoon hot sauce
juice and zest of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
buns or kaiser rolls, buttered and grilled
cheese, mayo etc...

In a small pan, saute the diced apple and onion in the canola oil until tender. Reduce the heat to low and add the pear preserves, allowing it to melt into the apple mixture. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool completely. In a mixing bowl add the ground turkey, all of the spices, hot sauce, lemon juice and zest, and apple/onion mixture, combine completely. Form into 4 patties, plate them and put them in the freezer for about 30 mins. Drink a glass of wine, and check your Facebook. Next, heat a grill pan on medium/high and cook patties. (I like to do 3 minutes, then turn them 90degrees and cook another 3 minutes so as to achieve the criss-cross grill marks. Repeating on both sides:) Just before they are done add your cheese. Slap them on some buttered and grilled buns, with a little mayo and you're in bidness.

OK! So here's the rest of the story... Some things I couldawouldashoulda done.

Firstly: Add bacon! These burgers turn out so juice and melty and sweet that the contrast of some crispy, salty bacon would have just sent them over the edge!!! I mean, when has bacon NOT been good when added to anything in the world? Ever?

Secondly: In lieu of Cheddar I think that goat cheese would have been a nice choice. The tangy cheese would have been a great balance to the sweet burger.

Thirdly: I would have made twice as many. Yum.