Carpetbagger Burger
Carpetbagger Burger
The Carpetbagger Burger is basically a burger stuffed with oysters, mushrooms and bacon. The unique taste of this combination is intriguingly unusual and delicious.
I was introduced to a carpetbagger steak at the tender age of 18 by my mother in a wonderful little bistro in a small South African country city. Exotic tastes were completely new to me — I hadn’t even eaten an oyster before — and I could not believe the flavours that exuded from the steak. I have often tried to duplicate that taste and this filling is the closest that I have come.
This Carpetbagger Burger uses the Basic Hamburger patty as a base. Essentially, instead of 4 thick patties we make 8 thin patties. We put filling on one half and cover with the other half, forming 4 thick juicy patties with the filling in the centre.
Serves 4
For the Patties
- 4 Basic Hamburger patties, made as 8 thin patties
For the Filling
- 4 rashers bacon, fried crispy, crumbled and drained on a paper towel
- 1 cup fresh oysters, drained and coarsely chopped (canned, not smoked, will do if unavailable)
- 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
- 1 dash olive oil
- 1 dash white wine
- 1 dash cream
- Fresh ground black pepper
For the Rolls
- 4 fresh rolls, about the same size as the patties
- Sliced tomato
- Thinly sliced onion
- Lettuce
- Mayonnaise
Method
Add olive oil to a saucepan and gently sauté the oysters and mushrooms until the mushrooms are tender. Drain excess oil and add the bacon, wine, cream and pepper. Stirring, bring to the boil, immediately remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Make 8 thin patties from the Basic Hamburger mixture. Spoon about a tablespoon of filling onto the centre of 4 of the patties and spread slightly, leaving the outer edges clear — we need the top half to bind here. Cover with the remaining patties and seal the edges by pressing down on the outer perimeter with your fingers, as you would with a pie. Do not apply pressure to the centre or the filling will squirt out. Place the patties in the refrigerator until cold.
Warm the remaining filling.
Cook the patties as you normally would but take extra care when turning. You can find extensive patty making and cooking instructions in the Basic Hamburger recipe.
Split the rolls and toast the cut surfaces lightly (under the grill, on the barbecue or in a pan) just before the patties are done. Spread mayonnaise on the bottom half, add a thin slice of onion, some lettuce and a slice of tomato. Add the patty and spoon the remaining filling over it. Top with the other half of the roll.
Enjoy a great tasting Carpetbagger Burger!
Bon Appétit!