Hot sauce, pepper put bite in burgers

Yep, we could taste the love in these juicy white-meat burgers from Carla Hall’s new cookbook Cooking With Love.

You’ll have some of the flavored mayonnaise left; refrigerate it for up to three days.

Buffalo Wing Burgers

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for cooking the burgers

1⁄2 small yellow onion, minced

1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons hot sauce, preferably Frank’s

1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme

1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

11⁄ 4 pound ground turkey or chicken

4 whole-wheat potato hamburger buns

1⁄2 lemon

1⁄2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon hot sauce, preferably Frank’s

2 teaspoons honey

1⁄2 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and salt, stirring to coat. Cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the garlic. Cook for 8 minutes, or until the onion has turned lightly golden, then add the black pepper, hot sauce, thyme and crushed red pepper flakes, stirring to incorporate. Transfer to a mixing bowl and cool for 5 minutes.

Add the ground turkey or chicken; use slightly dampened hands to gently combine the mixture. Form into 4 patties of equal size.

Use a little oil to film the bottom of the skillet (the same one used to cook the onion and garlic). Place over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until browned on the bottom, then turn the burgers over and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until cooked through; you can tell because the juices will run clear.

To make the mayonnaise: Squeeze a tablespoon of lemon juice into a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise, hot sauce, honey and cayenne pepper, stirring to combine.

Spread a tablespoon or so of the mayo on the inside tops and bottoms of the buns. Place the burgers on the bottom buns and complete the sandwiches with the top buns. Serve warm.

Makes 4 servings.