Burgers with Roasted Eggplant & Red Capsicum & Minted Yoghurt

This is a flash Mediterranean-style hamburger, without the bun. I have served the burger on a bed of crushed chickpeas for texture, but you could use hummus for a similar flavour. This makes great picnic or barbecue food and goes well with a full-bodied Shiraz. Recipe adapted from Cuisine magazine.

Ingredients
1 cup yoghurt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
2 tablespoons tahini
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
750g minced beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 large (350g) eggplant, cut into 2cm pieces
2 red onions, cut into 2cm pieces
2 red capsicums, cored and cut into 2cm pieces
¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cups wild rocket leaves
grilled flatbread to serve

Method
Combine the yoghurt, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and the mint. Season to taste. Refrigerate until serving. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Crush the chickpeas coarsely with a potato masher, leaving some whole. Stir in the tahini, garlic, remaining lemon juice and the oil, and season to taste. Set aside.

Combine the mince, onion and allspice, season to taste and mix well. Shape the mixture into 6 burgers. Place the eggplant, onion and red capsicum in a roasting pan, toss with ¼ cup oil and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from the oven and stir in the balsamic vinegar.

Brush the burgers with oil and grill, panfry or barbecue on both sides until browned and cooked to your liking (3-4 minutes each side for medium).

Spoon the chickpea mixture on to plates, top each with a burger and some rocket, and serve the eggplant mixture on the side. Smear minted yoghurt around the plates and drizzle the whole dish with a little extra oil. Serve with grilled flatbread. Serves 6.

Fillet Steak with Sautéed Oyster Mushrooms, Mulled Wine Jelly & Roasted Garlic Custard

Ingredients
Roasted Garlic Custard
250g cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup olive oil
1½ cups cream
¼ cup milk
½ cup roasted garlic, drained
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mulled Wine Jelly
¼ cup red wine
¼ cup port
2 tablespoons sugar
1 star anise
½ cinnamon stick
4 cloves
¼ teaspoon allspice
2 strips orange peel
2½ sheets gelatine leaves

To cook and serve
6 x 180g fillet steaks, trimmed of silver skin
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
canola oil for frying
1 cup jus or gravy
300g oyster mushrooms (separated)
butter for frying
2 bunches watercress
30 cloves roasted garlic

Method
Roasted Garlic Custard
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Place the garlic in a small ovenproof dish, pour the olive oil over, cover with tinfoil and place in the oven. Check after 40 minutes. The cloves should be slightly golden and very soft to touch.

Remove from the oven and cool then store in a jar in the fridge. These last indefinitely in the oil.

Preheat the oven to 150°C. Place the cream and milk in a small saucepan over low heat and bring to a simmer. Place the roasted garlic in a medium bowl along with the egg yolks and the whole egg. With a wand blender, process until smooth.

Once the cream and milk have reached a simmer, remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes then place in a jug. Slowly pour it into the egg mix while whisking continuously.

Season with salt and pepper then pass through a fine sieve. Pour the custard into 2 large ramekins, filling to 1cm from the top. Place the ramekins in an ovenproof dish and pour hot water into the dish so it comes at least halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Tightly cover with tinfoil and place carefully in the oven.

Check after 20 minutes then at 10-minute intervals. The custards are ready when they are mostly set but still slightly “nervous” in the centre when you give them a little shake. Remove and let cool, uncovered in the water bath, then refrigerate to fully set.

Mulled Wine Jelly
Place all the ingredients except the gelatine in a small saucepan over low heat. Simmer gently for 6 minutes so the sugar dissolves and the wine is infused with the spices. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

Soak the gelatine in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. Once soft and pliable, squeeze out excess water and add to the mulled wine mixture. Stir well to incorporate.

Carefully strain through a fine sieve, discarding the spices.

While still just warm, pour the mulled wine jelly over the top of the set custards and place back in the fridge to set.

To cook and serve
Preheat the oven to 180°C. For the steaks, take some natural string or butcher’s twine and tie around the outside of each one, making them tight and even.

Season the steaks liberally with sea salt and black pepper.

Place a skillet or sauté pan on high heat and add a little oil. Once hot, sear 3 steaks at a time until golden on each side then place in a roasting pan while you repeat with the remaining steaks. Once all seared, place in the oven for 5-10 minutes, depending on how well you like your steaks cooked. I always cook my steak medium (pink all the way through).

Once the steaks are cooked, remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the jus in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil then pour into a preheated jug or teapot. Keep in a warm place.

Place a large frying pan on medium heat. Add a liberal amount of butter followed by the mushrooms. Season with sea salt and pepper. Cook until soft and golden brown then add the watercress. Remove from the heat, toss the watercress lightly so it just wilts from the heat of the mushrooms. Keep warm.

For the roasted garlic, heat up a non-stick pan, add the garlic and cook for a minute or so until hot through.

Divvy up the oyster mushrooms and watercress among the serving plates and top each portion with a steak. Using a tablespoon heated in hot water, place a spoonful of the custard on top of each steak so it begins to melt. Scatter about a few roasted garlic cloves then finish each plate with a little jus.
Serves 6.