alternative burger

not a burger in the ordinary sense but i had much fun constructing this one for a blog event.

100% selfmade, colorful & animal free. full of textures and tastes (sweet, sour, bitter and salty).

i found out how easy it is to cook tomato sauce and that it beats the pants off ready-mades. so there will be one more thing that i won't buy anymore.

the components:

1. whole spelt burger bun with black sesames - i adjusted my standard hefezopf/tresse recipe. using water and olive oil instead of milk and butter made the buns light and fluffy.

2. slightly fried kale - adds elegant bitterness and the most vivid green.

3. amaranth patty with roasted sweet potato and red onions - amaranth contributes to a soft and sticky texture and has a wonderful nutty taste.

4. oven braised fennel slices.

5. cranberry ketchup - the cranberries contribute to an intense color and sour taste when tomatoes are out of season and don't have much flavor.


instructions for making 4 burgers on 2 consecutive nights, total prep time 2 1/2 hours:

I. day one

1) make an amaranth porridge that will bind the patty: bring 100 g amaranth with 300 ml vegetable broth to a boil. turn the heat to the minimum and allow the amaranth to simmer for another 20 minutes. turn the heat off and let it sit.

2) make the dough for the burger buns: in a bowl mix 180 g whole spelt flour, 70 g all purpose flour, 2 tsp dry yeast, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar well with a whisk. in a cup mix 150 ml cold water and 3 tbsp olive oil and pour it over the flour. knead the dough well for about 5 minutes. cover the dough in a bowl with a plate and let it ferment in the refrigerator until the next day.

3) for the ketchup bring 3 tomatoes, 2 small red onions, 1 handful cranberries, 1 garlic clove, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 cloves, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar to a boil and let it simmer for 30 minutes until reduced. strain the sauce through a food mill.

II. day two

1) knead the prepared yeast dough again, form 4 buns, sprinkle them with water and black sesame seeds and let them rise at room temperature for 40 minutes.

2) dice 2 red potatoes and 2 red onions. fry in a pan, add salt and pepper and let cool down.

3) bake the buns at 200 °C for about 25 minutes. at the same time braise some fennel slices with little white wine, lemon juice, olive oil and salt in the oven.

4) mix the amaranth porridge, the potato and the red onions and form the patties. if the dough is too sticky add some semolina flour. fry the patties in olive oil.

5) carefully fry a kale leaf (big stems removed ahead) so that it maintains its color. add salt and pepper.

6) assemble: instead of mayo or butter i used avocado. garnish with fennel leaves.