Domestic Goddess in training - just look what I did next........

I went to MO's for dinner a while ago and spied on her kitchen table a recipe book her eldest daughter had  brought home from uni.  I am drawn to cookery books like a moth to a flame and so opened it up for a looksee and then spent the next half hour feverishly copying out recipes.  I so often do this and I never, ever make the recipes so this time I was determined to make these and so I have.  Well, I've finally  made one. It was very, very nice and here it is

Chickpea Burgers - adapted from The Student Cookbook by Sam Stern.

It uses all the ingredients below

I like to do the  prep first so......

Blitz 75g of bread into breadcrumbs

Take one onion, peel

and finely chop (this is what I call finely)

Two fat, juicy garlic cloves

Peeled and crushed (I used a garlic crusher - Jamie's - not that I'm a name dropper - and it's not as easy as he makes it look......)

One dried chili (this depends on taste but I didn't think this was big enough, I added a pinch of crushed chillies as well)

Crush it up and finely chop half a stick of lemongrass (forgot to photograph that bit - and I was doing so well)

Juice and zest of one lime

Finely chop two tablespoons of coriander - this looks about right - generally I measure but sometimes I don't and this is one of those times

200g of chestnut mushrooms, wipe with a damp cloth

Finely chop

One 410g tin of chickpeas, drained, rinsed  and semi blitzed with stick blender or a fork -

I think this was a bit too blitzed

Prep done

3 tablespoons of olive oil into a pan and heat - I shall have to get new pans if I intend to do this again methinks

Add onions and cook gently for about 3 minutes then add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes until softened

Add chilli, ras-el-hanout, lemongrass and turmeric and cook whilst stirring for 3 minutes

Add mushrooms and lime juice and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Add to blitzed chickpeas

Add the breadcrumbs (remembering to remove the blade first of course) and a few shakes of Tabasco, the coriander, salt and pepper

Mix well

Have a taste to check seasoning

then flour  hands and a board and shape the mixture into 6 burgers and roll each one in the flour to coat

like this - these have been coated in flour - it just disappeared though.  I think the juice of one lime was a wee bit too much - depends on the size of the lime I suppose

being a spatially challenged person I made 7

pop into the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes

After chilling put a little coarse polenta on a plate (this is far too much polenta for 2 burgers! I froze the other 5)

Coat the chickpea burgers in the polenta

 fry in a little oil for 5 minutes each side or until cooked through

and eat.  However you wish.

I put mine into a toasted ciabatta roll with sweetcorn relish, salad leaves, cucumber, spring onion, radish and beetroot.

Yummy.

Top tip - next time I make them, and there will be a next time, I shall chill the mixture before shaping  into burgers - this may make them a little less sticky to handle.

I really enjoyed doing this, even though it took ages and I can't believe it went alright!!  Domestic Goddessdom here I come  -  or I might go for a career in food styling - or I could have a soup and burger stall - hmmmm - the career choices are improving or at least increasing.......

Recipe adapted from  The Student Cookbook by Sam Stern which is available on Amazon

3tbs Olive Oil

110 g onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 small dried chilli, crumbled

2 tsp ras-el-hanout (Moroccan spice found in most supermarkets - original recipe used

                              1 tsp ground cumin and 1tsp ground coriander)

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tsp lemongrass paste or 1/2 piece of fresh, finely chopped

200g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped

Juice and zest of one lime

1 x 400g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained

75g breadcrumbs

few shakes of Tabasco

2tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

salt and pepper

white flour for coating

olive oil for frying

coarse polenta for coating

Heat olive oil in pan, cook onions very gently for 3 minutes, add garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes until softened but not coloured.

Add the chilli, ras-el-hanout, turmeric and lemongrass.  Cook and stir for 3 minutes.

Add mushrooms and lime juice and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Mixed crushed chickpeas with vegetable mixture and  breadcrumbs, Tabasco, coriander, salt and pepper.

Spread flour onto board.  Flour hands.  Shape mixture into 6 burgers, handling gently. 

Roll in flour to coat.

Chill in fridge for at least 15 minutes.

Put some coarse polenta on a plate.

Coat burgers in the polenta.

Fry in a little oil for 5 minutes each side or until cooked through.