THE RECIPE

I recruited local Master Sommelier Desmond Echavarrie to match each dish with a suitable wine. He followed three guiding principles that anyone can easily apply when pairing wine with food. Firstly, ‘what grows together goes together’, meaning that native grapes often pair perfectly with the cuisine of the region. Secondly, ‘tannins need fat’, so pair bigger wines with rich and fatty dishes. Lastly, ‘salt loves sweet’, which is why Champagne and caviar is such a classic pairing. ‘We have served the G&G burger at Goose & Gander since our opening night in 2012. It was instantly labelled a “Napa Valley classic” and continues to be the most talked-about item on the menu today.’

Goose & Gander owner Andy Florsheim

Preparation time 60 minutes Cooking time (burger) 10 minutes

METHOD 1.

For the remoulade, add the egg yolk, mustard and sriracha to a mixing bowl. Begin mixing with a whisk or stick blender, slowly drizzling in the oil to emulsify. Then, fold in the capers, pickles, cornichons, tarragon, chives and dill. Set aside.

Add the herb butter ingredients to a pan, and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and leave to cool.

Heat your grill. (Goose & Gander uses a wood-fire grill with a combination of white oak and fruitwood. The wood fire is a distinct flavour in the G&G burger, but if you’re cooking on charcoal or gas, the other flavours will still hold their weight.)

Brush the beef patty with 1 tbsp of melted herb butter and a generous sprinkling of salt, and place on the grill. In order to get good marks on the burger, don’t fuss with the patty and let the fire and the grill grate do their job. Cook to the desired temperature. We recommend medium, as it’s a very juicy burger. On the wood-fire grill, it takes a few minutes on each side.

After you’ve flipped the patty and the second side is cooked halfway through to your liking, place the cheese on top to melt. While the burger finishes cooking, brush your bun with another tbsp of melted herb butter and lightly toast it, cut side down, on the least hot section of your grill.

To assemble the burger, slather remoulade on both sides of the bun. Lay two leaves of little gem lettuce on the bottom bun and place the patty on top. Add the crispy bacon and pickles.

If you like, top your burger with some of Goose & Gander’s optional additions, such as bone marrow, a fried duck egg, or shaved truffle. Serve with duck-fat fries.

Leftover remoulade is great with crab cakes, shrimp cocktail, or as a binder for tuna salad. Use any leftover herb butter to dress up ravioli, toasted cheese sandwiches or vegetable soup.

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