Spicy Sweetcorn and Turkey Burger with Sweet Potato Wedges

Today I made Spicy Sweetcorn and Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Wedges

Nothing beats a good burger. Now  I'm not taking about the fast food joint burgers where the meat is wafer thin and the source is questionable. I'm talking proper homemade, meaty, sky scraper burgers the kind you struggle to get your mouth around. Once you've made your own burgers you'll never choose shop bought ever again. Not only do they taste miles better in flavour and texture but you actually know what goes in to them. You can play around with the ingredients and can make them as healthy or naughty as you like. This option uses lean Turkey mince which contains half the fat and calories of normal beef mince. Also Sweet Potato contains less Carbohydrates than regular potatoes and play a major part in the Paleo Diet.    


                                                                                                                                         

                                                                          Some people have the perception that Turkey meat can be quite bland and dry but these burgers are juicy and packed with flavour. I infuse the meat with a variety of different herbs and spices which really brings the flavour of the meat to a whole new level..The sweetcorn really adds little bursts of flavour and moisture to the burgers. The flour sprinkled on the surface of each patty results in the burger being crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. The Chutney I use for the Burger is by "Tastefully Yours", a handmade preserves company based in Waterford and stocked in Ardkeen Quality Food Store. I honestly can't go past this Irish company for any of my preserve needs. 

The herbs and spices I use are Fresh Rosemary, Dried Basil, Paprika, OHCo Cajun Spice, Salt and Cracked Black Pepper. This mix of spices creates an almost addictive taste and really lifts the burgers. Rosemary works really well in this recipe as it gives a great taste and the bits that are on the outside get really crispy during the frying. The OHCo Cajun Spice really delivers a sweet and spicy punch. I use these same herbs and spices on the Sweet Potato Wedges along with lemon juice and crushed garlic. You can feel free to add any herbs or spices to the wedges as you like, sometimes I like to add some chili flakes for an extra kick of heat. The Wedges are a great accompaniment to the Turkey Burger along with a fresh Rocket Salad.





I chose not to use the conventional Seeded Burger Bun for this recipe. Instead I use a "Blaa" The Blaa is a soft bread roll dusted with flour, they can be soft and chewy or crispy and are exclusive to The Déise. The Blaa was introduced to Waterford by the French Hugeunots who settled in Waterford in 1693.

They brought the plain "Blanc" which was then adopted by the Waterfordians and after what only I can imagine as many poor attempts at French pronunciation we renamed this Holy Grail "The Blaa" And to this day it plays a huge part of all of our daily lives. Mostly eaten with butter or filled with bacon or ham but I decided to take this local staple one step further and discovered it really acts as a perfect burger bun.

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

Sweet Potato Wedges

• 4 Large Sweet Potatoes - Skins on
• Half Lemon
• 2 Teaspoons Chopped Rosemary
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Cracked Black Pepper
• 2 Teaspoon OHCo Cajun Spice
• 2 Teaspoon Basil
• 3 Crushed Garlic Cloves

Turkey Burgers

• 500g Lean Turkey Mince 
• 1 Egg
• Pinch of Salt
• Cracked Black Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon OHCo Cajun Spice
• 2 Teaspoons Fresh Rosemary
• 1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Flour
• 100g Sweetcorn

Garnish

• 4 Teaspoon "Tastefully Yours" Chutney
• Cheese infused with Cranberry 
• 1 Bag Rocket Duo Salad
• 4 Large Blaa's
• 4 Teaspoons Mayonnaise 

Instructions:

Sweet Potato Wedges

1. Slice Sweet Potatoes length-ways into wedges, try to ensure you keep the wedges the same size so they cook at the same time. Place wedges onto a large baking tray.

2. Drizzle on the Olive Oil and sprinkle with the Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper. Shake the tray to coat evenly. Add in the roughly chopped  Rosemary, Cajun Spice, Basil and crushed Garlic Cloves. With your hands move around the wedges so they get coated in all the seasoning - The oil will allow the herbs and spices to stick to the wedges.

3. Cut three or four slices off the half lemon and places these onto the tray with the wedges. Squeeze half the juice out of the lemon and shake one last time. Make sure the wedges are dispersed evenly on the tray. Place in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes at 180°C.

4. While the wedges are cooking you can make and cook the burgers. When the wedges are cooked, using a thongs to squeeze the garlic and lemon to get the last bit of flavour out of them.

5.  Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and shake the tray so the wedges are tossed in remaining infused oil.

Spicy Sweetcorn and Turkey Burgers

1. Put the Turkey Mince into a large bowl and break up with a wooden spoon. Firstly season with Salt and Pepper.

2. Roughly chop up the Fresh Rosemary and add to the mince, then add in the Cajun Spice, Basil and mix again. When all the spices are incorporated add in the Sweetcorn, it's at this point I like to switch to my hands to work in the Sweetcorn, I do this by squeezing the mixture.

3. Crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk slightly. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in half the egg. Work the egg into the mixture with your hands - the egg helps all the ingredients to bind together. You may or may not need the remainder of the egg.

4. Sprinkle in some of the flour as you don't want the mixture to be too wet. If you fry the burgers and they are too wet the mixture will fall apart and you will lose the all important patty shape. 

5. I like to chill the mixture in the fridge for a few minutes before I shape the burgers. Take up a quarter of the mixture into your hands and roll it around into a ball. Sprinkle a little flour on the counter and place the ball onto the floured surface. Press down slightly to flatten the top and bottom of the patty. Form the other three patties in the same way. 

6. Fry the burgers in a little Olive Oil till golden brown on either side and crispy to touch, flipping them over every few minutes. While they are frying you can get everything else ready.

7. Cut the Blaa's in half, spread a teaspoon of Mayo on the bottom of each Blaa then put a small handful of Rocket Salad on each bottom bun - The Mayo helps the Rocket from falling out of the burger when you're eating it. Make up a small salad beside the bottom bun - I like to use some of the Rocket with quartered Cherry Tomatoes and a sprinkle of sweetcorn. But you can use any kind of salad you like. Spread some of the Tastefully Yours Chutney on the top bun.

8. When the burgers are cooked take them up and place a patty on each of the bottom buns. Break up some of the Cheese with Cranberry and put on top of the burger - The heat from the burger will start to melt the cheese - I like to use cheese infused with Cranberry as everybody knows how well Turkey and Cranberry goes together. 

9.Place the top of the Blaa's on each burger. Take up the Sweet Potato Wedges and place along side the burger and then run to the dinner table...

"Do you want Sweet Potatoes Wedges with That?"