Levi Roots' jerk burger, mushroom and blue cheese burger and sweetcorn side
Jerk Burger:
Serves: 6 burgers.Prep: 10 minutes, plus chilling time.Cook: 10 minutes approximately.
Ingredients:750g beef mince not lean (around 15% fat)4 tbsp mild Caribbean barbecue sauce or tomato ketchup1 ¼ tsp salt75g butter, softenedTo Serve:6 burger buns, sliced in half and lightly spread with butterLittle gem lettuce leavesMayonnaiseRelishes of your choiceSliced red onions
Method:1. For the burgers mix together the mince, Caribbean sauce or ketchup, salt and butter. Shape into 6 patties about 3cm thick. Cover and chill ideally for 1-2 hours.
2. About 30 minutes before cooking take the burgers out of the fridge. Put the lettuce into a bowl and line up with the mayonnaise, relishes and red onion.
3. Put the burgers on the barbecue using a flat spatula – they will hold together well but need careful handling. Cook for 3-5 minutes, then carefully turn them over and cook for 3-5 minutes more until browned on the outside and juicy but cooked within.
4. Put the burgers onto the buns and let people help themselves to lettuce, mayonnaise, relish and red onion. Serve with chargrilled sweetcorn and flavoured butters.
Tips:If serving with chargrilled sweetcorn, cook the sweetcorn first, adding the burgers 10 minutes before the end of cooking.
For a quick, refreshing relish mix finely diced pineapple and mango with finely chopped red chilli and add a dash of cider vinegar.
The burgers can also be cooked on a griddle or frying pan.
Mushroom Burgers With Blue Cheese
Serves: 6 burgers.Prep: 10 minutes.Cook: 15 minutes approximately.
Ingredients:2tbsp olive oil2 tsp fresh thyme leaves6 large Portobello mushrooms, wiped cleaned, stalks removed2 garlic clovesFinely chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper100g blue cheese, such as Stilton, crumbledTo Serve:6 burger buns, butteredLettuce, shreddedFinely sliced Mango chutneyRelishes of your choice
Method:1. Mix together the oil and thyme and brush this all over the mushrooms. Put the mushrooms open-side down on the barbecue and cook until they start to brown, about 5-10 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 5 minutes.
2. Turn the mushrooms over gain and put the garlic and more thyme oil in the centre of each one. Lightly season with salt and more heavily with pepper.
3. Sprinkle on the cheese and continue cooking until the cheese has melted and the bottom of the mushrooms are nicely brown.
5. Put the cheesy mushrooms onto the buns and let people help themselves to to lettuce, mayonnaise, relish and red onion. Serve with chargrilled sweetcorn and flavoured butters.
Tips:If serving with chargrilled sweetcorn, cook the sweetcorn first, adding the burgers 10 minutes before the end of cooking.
Mango, pineapple relish: For a quick, refreshing relish mix finely diced pineapple and mango with finely chopped red chilli and add a dash of cider vinegar.
The mushrooms can also be cooked on a griddle or frying pan.
Chargrilled Sweetcorn With Butters
Serves: 6.Prep: 15 minutes, plus chilling time.Cook: 30-40 minutes approximately.
Ingredients:6 sweet corn cobs, with husks if availableSunflower or groundnut oil, or melted butterSalt and pepper
For the lime and coriander butter:175g butter, softenedHeaped tbsp finely chopped coriander1 garlic clove, finely choppedZest and juice of 1 limeSalt and pepper
For the parmesan butter:175g butter3 thyme sprigs, leaves only1 garlic clove, finely chopped25g grated Parmesan cheeseFreshly ground black pepper
For the chilli butter:175g butterSoftened 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped1 medium red chilli, seeded and chopped1 tsp cayenne pepperJuice of ½ lime
Method:1. You can cook corn on the barbecue in 2 ways. If you only have cobs without leaves, or you are in a hurry, boil the corn in water until slightly soft but not completely tender, about 10 minutes. Brush with oil or butter, season with salt and pepper and set on the bars of the barbecue to finish cooking and get lovely and charred. Turn the cobs every so often. If you do not want to barbecue the corn after boiling, brush with oil or butter and cook on a ridged griddle – preheated until it is almost smoking – turning the corn until charred on all sides. Either way it will take about 5 minutes.
2. If you buy your corn with the husks on, pull the leaves back – but not right off – so you can see the silky threads. Tug these out and then pull the leaves back, twisting them at the end. Wrap the corn in foil or cook them as they are, burying them in the embers if you’re using coals or on the bars if not. They will take about 30–40 minutes to become tender. Do not worry that the leaves turn very black.
3. To make the butters, mash all the ingredients for each one together and chill. When the butter has firmed up, roll into neat sausage shapes, wrap in greaseproof paper and chill again. Serve the corn hot with rounds of your chosen butter melting over the top of each one. Yum.