Chef John's Lamb Moussaka Burger

Name: Chef John's Lamb Moussaka Burger recipe
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 25 min
Yield: 4 burgers
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 yellow onion, diced; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 cups diced eggplant; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon cumin; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon dried oregano; 2 teaspoons tomato paste; 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons flour; 1 cup cold milk; 1 pinch ground nutmeg; 1 pinch cayenne pepper; 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper; ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese; 1 pound ground lamb; salt to taste; 8 slices tomato; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed; 4 hamburger buns, split and toasted

by Juliette Guerin 1 year ago

4.8 (9)

25 minutes

619.7 kcal

39.9 g carbs

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Description

I love lamb burgers and I've been daydreaming recently about a lamb burger based on the famous Greek casserole, Moussaka. For those of you who don't know, moussaka is a stunning blend of spiced ground lamb, tomato, and eggplant, topped with a creamy, cheesy white sauce. I decided to integrate the eggplant right into the burger itself, instead of topping the burger with cooked slices.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups diced eggplant
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup cold milk
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound ground lamb
salt to taste
8 slices tomato
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir diced onion with 1 teaspoon salt until onion is slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Add eggplant, reduce heat to medium, and cook and stir until eggplant is opaque and softened, 3 to 5 minutes more.
2. Stir garlic, 1 teaspoon black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and oregano into eggplant mixture; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste; cook and stir until heated through, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a plate and cool completely. Cover plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 15 minutes.
3. Whisk 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and flour together in a saucepan over medium-high heat until golden and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour milk into butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly as it simmers and forms a smooth, thick sauce, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with nutmeg, a pinch black pepper, and a pinch cayenne pepper. Remove from heat and stir Parmesan cheese into milk mixture until melted.
4. Combine lamb, chilled eggplant mixture, and a pinch of salt together in a bowl. Form into four patties and place on a plate. Cover the plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate until just before cooking.
5. Place tomato slices in a shallow bowl. Season tomatoes with chopped mint, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Pour rice vinegar over the top and toss to coat.
6. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook burgers until slightly pink in the center, about 4 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) for medium.
7. Spread desired amount of cheese sauce onto both sides of each hamburger bun. Place burger on bottom bun, place 2 tomato slices atop the burger, and place top half of the bun over the tomatoes.