Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Lamb Burger with Goat Cheese, Pickled Ramp Leaves and Aioli


Feeling some self-pity for staying in my prison cell apartment last Saturday night, I decided to cheer myself up with a gussied up lamb burger.  Aside from the ground lamb which I had purchased earlier in the day, I had all of the components to make the fancy burger  that I call comfort food (I swear I'm not a snob): pickled ramps that I made the other day, some goat cheese in the fridge, and a brioche roll in the freezer.  I began with the ramps, cutting off three ramp bulbs and used them in place of garlic in a basic aioli recipe.  I toasted the brioche bun and smeared a generous knife full of the aioli on one side.  Preparing the lamb patty, I inserted a small round of goat cheese into the middle of it, then cooked the burger to medium-rare.  I topped the patty with a small handful of the tangy pickled ramp leaves and wedged everything between the bun.  The onion rings I made to serve alongside the burger were a disaster, but the burger was enough to make me forget their soggy mediocrity. It was absolute perfection, especially when washed down with a couple Sixpoint beers and a few episodes of The Wire.  Not bad work for a Saturday night.

6 comments:

  1. I really should stop sleeping late on Saturday. Didn't get to USGM (Union Sq. Greenmarket) until 1 pm last weekend and it turned out that Rick Bishop had sold out of all ramps.

    *sigh*

    Nice sandwich. =P

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  2. I guess I got lucky. I think I arrived at USGM at 12:30 and Rick Bishop still had a good number of ramps left. This week, I want to get there earlier to get the asparagus and rhubarb before they sell out.

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  3. I am a fan of anyone who keeps Brioche buns in their freezer..and pickles ramps "just in case" you make staying home on a Saturday sound like the best idea yet! Well done..or medium rare in my case.

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  4. Thanks Tara! I can't say that having pickled ramps and brioche rolls on hand is the norm for me, but when I do have them, I take full advantage.

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  5. This sounds like a great combination. I was just trying to figure out what might be good with goat cheese and pickled ramps. Can't wait to try this!

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  6. Thanks Madame! I was surprised at how well all the flavors in the burger melded together. Let me know how it works out for you!

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