Cheeseburgers

ingredients

• • 1.4 kg coarsely minced beef
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 300 gm Gruyère, coarsely grated
  • 240 gm cheddar, coarsely grated
  • To serve: lettuce leaves, tomatoes and Spanish onion

• Potato buns

  • 6 gm dried yeast
  • 100 ml milk
  • 600 gm bread flour
  • 50 gm instant mashed potato
  • 50 gm caster sugar
  • 50 gm butter, softened
  • 1 egg yolk, plus one extra whisked with 2 tsp water and a pinch of salt for eggwash
  • For spraying: canola oil spray

• Pickled chilli

  • 450 ml white wine vinegar
  • 130 gm caster sugar
  • 30 gm sea salt flakes
  • 8 jalepeños, thinly sliced

method

• Main

  • 1

    For potato buns, combine yeast, milk and 100ml hot water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and stand until foamy (3-5 minutes). Add flour, sugar, butter, egg yolk, 1 tsp salt and 250ml water, and mix until just combined (3-5 minutes; do not overwork). Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to rest and prove. Knock back dough on a lightly oiled bench by gently gathering the sides and folding it back on itself, then rest again in a lightly oiled bowl covered with a damp tea towel (30 minutes). Gently knock back dough, divide into 8 balls, pulling sides of dough underneath to form smooth tops, then place evenly spaced on a large oven tray lined with baking paper. Spray liberally with canola oil and set aside until almost tripled in volume (1 hour). Preheat oven to 200C and place a small roasting pan half-filled with water at the base. Brush buns with eggwash, spray again with canola spray and bake until puffed, golden and cooked through (20-25 minutes). Set aside covered with a damp cloth to cool and steam.

  • 2

    For pickled chilli, combine vinegar, sugar and salt, and bring to the boil in a saucepan. Add jalapeño chillies and set aside to cool.

  • 3

    Preheat grill to high. Shape 170gm portions of beef into patties the same size as the buns and scatter with sea salt. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the patties in batches, pressing occasionally to keep their shape, to medium-rare (10 minutes), transfer to an oven tray, top with both cheeses and grill until melted (2 minutes).

  • 4

    Split buns and toast cut-side up under the grill. Spread aïoli over the bases and top with lettuce, tomato, Spanish onion, beef patties and tomato sauce. Serve with pickled chilli.