PEPPERONI BURGERS WITH A PEPPER CRUST

Sweet tomato chutney takes these burgers to the next level!

Serves 4

• Preparation: 20 minutes

• Cooking time: 8 minutes

• 600g beef mince

• 100g salami slices, finely chopped

• 125ml dried breadcrumbs

(we used panko)

• 60ml finely grated Parmesan

• a few sprigs of fresh origanum, leaves stripped

• 1 egg

• 45ml coarsely ground black pepper (optional)

• olive oil for shallow-frying

• 4 slices Cheddar

• 4 large sesame or brioche buns, toasted

• mayonnaise, fresh tomato slices, lettuce, gherkin slices and tomato chutney, to serve

1 Mix the mince, salami, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, origanum and egg. Season the mixture lightly with salt (remember, the salami and

Parmesan are already salty) and shape it into 4 equal-sized meat patties, just bigger than your buns. Roll the edge of each patty in the coarsely ground pepper – make sure it sticks well.

2 Heat a pan until hot. Pour a splash of oil into the hot pan and fry the patties for a few minutes on one side. Peek, but don’t turn before they have formed a nice crust. Turn over and continue frying the patties until the other side also has a lovely crust. Reduce the heat, place a slice of cheese on each patty and put the lid on the pan for a few minutes so that the cheese can melt and the patties continue to steam. These juicy burgers are delicious if they still have a slightly pink blush on the inside (like a good steak), but judge for yourself. The cooking time will depend on the size of the patties and the heat of the pan.

3 Build the burgers by first spreading mayonnaise on the toasted buns. Then add a layer of tomato, lettuce and gherkins on the bottom half of the bun. Put a meat patty on top and add a generous helping of tomato chutney before placing the top half of the bun on top and tucking in.