Mushroom Burger with Greek Pesto

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We got thinking about burgers. Burgers can be beautiful. Burgers can be gourmet. Burgers can even be healthy. We hit upon the idea of making a burger patty from a single large brown mushroom, marinating it in our lemony Greek Pesto, and baking it off in the oven. The results were so satisfying, so delicious and simple to prepare.

#uberumami!

Why not try these tonight for an informal supper?

You will need
4 large brown mushrooms, trimmed of their stalks
½ jar Pesto Princess Greek Pesto diluted with a tbsp olive oil
4 burger buns
4 thick slices of mozzarella cheese
Wild rocket leaves, washed and dried
1 red onion, sliced
Salt, pepper, olive oil and butter

How to
Wipe the mushrooms down with kitchen paper to remove any soil. Lay face down on a greased baking tray and paint the caps with olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Flip mushrooms over so that the undersides are facing upwards and fill liberally with the Greek Pesto mixture. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or so, at 180°C. Just before the ‘patties’ are cooked through, top each with a mozzarella slice and bake until the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown. Serve on a toasted* burger bun, with your favourite greenery and garnishes – we used rocket and red onion.

* Sam suggests buttering each half of the bun and toasting in a griddle pan for extra flavour and crunch, while the mushrooms are in the oven.

Michael Olivier’s Choice

CBC Lager

Too seldom do people think of beer when matching food. And the burger, vegetarian or otherwise, is built for beer. In my Leagueofbeers.com box this month there was a bottle of CBC Lager.

It looks like: Amber gold in colour. Gem bright with a quickly dissapating frothy head.
It smells like: Bready notes, and balsamic woodsy smells of a Christmas pine.
It tastes like: Full bodied and multi layered. Light malty lager with whispers of hops. Perfect balance between sweet and bitter. It has the characteristic lack of astringency common among craft beers.

www.michaelolivier.co.za

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Recipe, styling & photography – Sam Linsell
Art direction & design – Roxanne Spears of Good Design

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