STREET CRED
Embark on a foodie adventure inspired by the aromas of bustling market stalls and street-side cafes of the world
Long gone are the days of having to visit top-notch restaurants in order to try the excellent and diverse cuisine that a country and its culture has to offer.
Today, with the soaring popularity of street food — readyto-eat and portable, finger-licking dishes — you can stroll through bustling market stalls, visit streetside cafes or seek out a foodie festival anywhere in the world and choose from the deliciously different foods that vendors are sure to tempt you with.
When you come across the wonderful aromas and first-rate flavours, not only are you guaranteed to turn your head in hungry curiosity, but you will often find that each recipe will provide an insight into the food traditions of that country, and even showcase the regional variations of its most well-known dishes.
In each chapter of this book you can sit back and plan a foodie adventure of your own as you discover some of the favourite and most-authentic eat-me-now snacks, mid-morning treats and lunch-time bites from each part of the world.
Surely the king of American fast food, a classic burger made with good-quality beef proves that sometimes less is more, letting the meaty taste speak for itself. For something extra gooey, place a fried egg in the bun for a rich egg-yolkmixed-with-tomato-ketchup sauce.
■ 2 Tbsp olive oil
■ 1 onion, finely chopped
■ 2 garlic cloves, crushed
■ 450ml / 2 scant cups tomato passata/ Italian sieved tomatoes
■ 150ml / cup red wine vinegar
■ 150g / cup soft brown sugar
■ 2 Tbsp black treacle / dark molasses
■ 2 Tbsp tomato pure´e / paste
■ 1 tsp Dijon mustard
■ 2 bay leaves
■ 1 tsp sea salt
■ tsp freshly ground black pepper
■ 500g ground beef
■ a good pinch of salt
■ 1 onion, finely chopped
■ 100g beetroot, finely chopped
■ 40g gherkins, finely chopped
■ 2 Tbsp capers, roughly chopped
■ 1 medium cooked white potato (approx. 80g), peeled and roughly mashed
■ 4 egg yolks
■ 1 tsp Dijon mustard
■ salt and freshly ground black pepper
■ olive oil or rapeseed oil and butter, for frying
■ 4 eggs
■ seeded burger buns or buns of your choice, toasted
■ Homemade tomato ketchup or condiments of your choice
First, make the homemade tomato ketchup. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic and fry gently for 10 minutes until softened. Add all the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes until thickened and reduced by about one third.
Pass the sauce through a sieve/ strainer, let cool and pour into a clean bottle and store in the fridge for up to five days. If using sterilised bottles, pour the hot sauce directly into the bottle and when cold, seal and store in the fridge. It will keep for a few weeks.
Put the minced/ground beef and salt in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix for around 1 minute on medium speed. Alternatively, you can mix for a little longer in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Add the onion, beetroot/beet, pickled cucumber or gherkins, capers, cooked potato, egg yolks and mustard. Season with salt and black pepper. Mix again until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated (but not too long or the burger will become tough).
Shape the mixture into 4 burgers and leave them to rest for 30 minutes in the fridge before frying.
Preheat the oven to 120C
Gas 1⁄2.
Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan. Fry the burgers (in batches if needed, depending on the size of your pan) over a high heat for about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, depending on how you like your beef to be cooked.
Once cooked, pop the beef patties in the oven to keep warm and fry the eggs sunny-side up in the same frying pan. Serve each beef patty on a lightly toasted burger bun with the fried egg on top. Serve with condiments on the side.