Tuscan Olive Burgers

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Every year, usually in May, I begin a whirlwind of kitchen activity that's triggered by the opening of the Build a Better Burger Contest. The economy and changes in advertising strategy rang the death knell for many of the big contests, but BBB is one of the few to survive with its award structure intact. Its $100K prize make it a plum for those who enjoy cooking competitions. While I've never won, I continue to try and went ahead and created two recipes for the contest this year, only to find that our revised holiday plans would have us out of the country at the time the contest would occur. I'm not really good about saving recipes for another day, so I though I'd share one of them with you today. Before I go into the multiple steps required to get this burger on the table, I want you to know that my favorite burger is simply dressed and charcoal broiled. Were it not for contests, I would never go through this rigmarole. While I may prefer my burgers naked, judges don't and that makes multi-step preparations a necessity for contests. If you analyze winning recipes, you can see the steps required to get to the competition. You'll need a sauce or spread for the rolls and layers of toppings that will make your well-seasoned burger unique. The folks at BBB maintain a huge database that you can scan for ideas if you are at all interested in entering the contest. I decided to make a Tuscan-style burger as my first entry this year. I had been working with tapenade and thought it would be a wonderful way to season my burgers. Once my theme was chosen, I rapidly moved through the toppings and spreads that I would use to accompany the patties. I decided to use a fennel-flavored mayonnaise and smoked cheese and proscuitto as toppers. To make the burgers even more singular, I made a fennel slaw to finish the package. In tonight's photo, I've used a simple olive salad in place of the fennel slaw. To be truthful, I had no fresh fennel in the house, so I took the line of least resistance and used olives which I have in abundance. This is a bold burger with strong flavors. If you like strongly flavored food, I think you'll love these. I have one caution to share with you. Be careful with the salt shaker. The tapenade and proscuitto are very salty and you won't need a lot of additional salt. Here's the recipe for those with adventuresome spirits.

Tuscan Olive Burgers...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
Ingredient:
Patties
2 pounds ground chuck
1 cup green olive tapenade (recipe can be found here)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 slices smoked Provolone or Gouda cheese
12 slices proscuitto, lightly fried and warm
6 top-quality hamburger buns, split
6 leaves curly lettuce
Fennel Mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1 cup mayonnaise
Fennel Coleslaw
2 tablespoons cider vinegar, or to taste
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 lb fennel (about 1-1/2 large bulbs)

Directions:
1) Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.
2) To make patties: Combine ground chuck with tapenade and black pepper, handling as little as possible. Shape into 6 bun-size patties. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
3) To make fennel mayonnaise: Combine ground fennel with mayonnaise. Mix well. Set aside.
4) To make fennel slaw: Whisk together all ingredients except fennel. Trim fennel stalks flush with bulb, discarding stalks, and remove any discolored outer layers. Halve fennel through root end and discard core. Thinly slice fennel with a mandoline or other manual slicer. Toss fennel with enough dressing to coat, then season with salt and pepper.
5) To grill: Brush grill rack with vegetable oil. Place patties on rack, cover, and cook, turning once until done to preference, 5 to 7 minutes on each side for medium. Place cheese slices on patties about 3 minutes before grilling is complete. Place buns, cut side down on outer edges of rack to toast lightly during last 2 minutes of grilling.
6) To assemble burgers. Spread top and bottom of burger buns with fennel mayonnaise. Cover bottom half of each bun with a lettuce leaf. Cover with a patty. Top each patty with two slices of warm proscuitto and about 2 tablespoons of fennel slaw. Add bun tops and serve. Yield: 6 burgers.







One Year Ago Today: Carne Asada














Two Years Ago Today: Lemony Buttermilk Bliss Bars








You might also enjoy these recipes:
Spicy Mango Black Bean Turkey Burger - Cara's Cravings
Asian-Style Burgers - Home Cooking Rocks
Bacon Chicken Burgers with Grilled Veggies - Living the Gourmet
Juicy Lucy Burgers - What's Cookin' Chicago?
Barbecue Chicken Burgers - Annie's Eats
Stuffed Cheddar Bacon Cheeseburgers - Confessions of a Foodie Bride
Greek-Style Lamb Burgers - My Kitchen Adventures
Taco Burger - Plain Chicken
Spiced TurkeyBurgers with Green Olives and Feta Cheese - Pinch My Salt
Greek-Style Turkey Burgers - The Baking Beauties

Tapenade Two Ways - Black Olive and Green Olive Spreads

Featured on Amuse Bouche the blog for Where Women Cook Magazine.


Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I debated the wisdom of sharing recipes for tapenade with you tonight. Unfortunately, there really are foods so plain the camera shudders when it's pointed at them. Tapenade is one of them. My camera begged for mercy before it quit on me. You all know that tapenade, whose name comes from the provencal word for capers, is a condiment or appetizer that comes from the south of France. It contains olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil that are very finely chopped or pounded to form a paste. It is then used as a spread, or to stuff an occasional protein or a vegetable or two. It's flavor is bright and sharp and it has the full bodied flavor we've come to associate with foods from the South of France. I keep it on hand to serve as an occasional hors d'oeuvre but mostly to use as a flavor booster for ground meat or quick pasta suppers. In truth, I rarely reduce my tapenade to a paste and prefer the texture that comes with the chopped version. I went all the way tonight because I wanted you to see how it should look before I went into theme and variation. Interestingly enough, the Italians an Greeks also have versions of well-flavored olive pastes that are very much like the one served in France. I decided to include recipes for two types of tapenade in this one entry tonight. One is made from black olives, the other from green. Believe it or not, there is a decided difference in the flavor profile of the two. Black olive tapenade is less astringent than the green and I prefer to use it for flavoring beef dishes. I personally favor the sharper, more full bodied flavor of the green, but I really dislike its olive drab color. I've found that this is a dish that people either love or hate. If you haven't had tapenade you might want to try one of these. Here are the recipes.

Green Olive Tapenade...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Bon Appetit Magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 pound mild green brine-cured olives (such as Picholine), pitted
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons drained capers
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
2 garlic cloves

Directions:
Place almonds in processor and grind finely; transfer to small bowl. Place olives, oil, capers, anchovies, and garlic in processor. Blend until fine paste forms. Add almonds; blend 5 seconds. Season tapenade with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.) Yield: 1-1/2 cups.

Black Olive Tapenade...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
2 cups pitted brine cured black olives, such as Kalamata
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil



Directions:
Combine olives, garlic and capers in a food processor and blend until a smooth paste forms, about 3 minutes. With motor running, add olive oil in a steady stream and pulse until well combined. Refrigerate for up to two weeks. Yield: 2 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Dandelion Pesto - David Lebovitz
Balsamic Fig Spread - Rootie Tootie Fresh and Foddie
Crispy Rosemary Hummus - A Spicy Perspective
Baba Ghanoush - Delightful Repast
A Tangy Tomato Spread - Different Strokes
Vegetable Pate - Kirsten's Kitchen
Edamame and Pea Bruschetta - Inspired Taste
Smoked Salmon Cheese Spread - Drick's Rambling Cafe
Tahini - Enriching Your Kid
Rosemary and Cranberry Spread - Life's Ambrosia