Lamb burgers with zucchini fries

Bar-B-Qewe.

The weather here in the Delaware Valley is just starting to curve up, ever so slightly.
The gorgeous first blooms I have been obsessively photographing the past few weeks ,powder pink and absurdly pretty, have been abducted nightly by some unseen hand - turning up like missing persons strewn across the ground each morning.
Dawn breaks and the reluctant rush of a mid week morning begins.
Each day a few more flowers are gone and I look to find fresh , bright green leaves waving good moring in place of dethroned pink.

With summer just around the corner I have been biting at the bit for BBQ season.
But, why wait?
So , here it is. Spring Bar-B-Qewe.
I drew inspiration from the description of one of my all time favorite restaurants staples : Oznot's lamb burger with zaatar aioli and harissa.
This recipe ain't no Oznot's, but it is definitely a keeper.
I used fresh zaatar-ish herbs
(which, proper and dried would lend themselves to a kick ass rub)
placing them directly into the burger.
I also attempted to make the harissa into a BBQ like sauce.
I'm still working out the kinks on that one, but
serving them with straight up harissa and tsatsiki was Delicious.
I nearly chewed my own fingers.




For The Burger

• 1.5 ib ground lamb
  
• coriander (dried)
  
• cumin (dried)
  
• oregano
  
• marjoram
  
• cilantro
  
• salt and pepper
  
• 3 small garlic cloves
  
• 1/2 large onion (I used yellow but red would give more kick)

* This burger would have been A-maaaazing with Chevre. Feta if your into it. Oznaut's used manchego. This time around I just a cut up baby bell.

Nothing could be more simple.
Saute the onion and garlic until just barely tinged golden.
mix with meat.
Then add in roughly one tbl coriander and one tbl cumin.
Chop up about a hand full of each of the other fresh herbs and mix it all together with your hands, forming the meat into flattened patties.
Grill , broil or fry until juices run clear and the cut open center of the burger reflects the desired well done-ness.
Be sure to cook thoroughly in order to avoid illness.



For The Zucchini Fries

• two huge zucchini
  
• paprika
  
• pesto mix
  
• garlic cloves to taste

You can, of course, add whatever spices you like and even cut in some parm cheese.
I would suggest dredging the zucchini in a little flour/ salt mix , or adding breadcrumbs to the herb mix in order to draw out some of the moisture and keep them from going entirely limp.
No one likes a limp zucchini.

Cut up the zucchini into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces.

Now you have got several ways to go:

method 1:
The easiest is to simple spread on a cookie sheet adn drizzle with olive oil . Then sprinkle with herbs and bake as below.
or
method 2:
Dredge with some salt and flour, enough to dust the zucchini pieces.
Let the zucchini sit like this for 15 minutes - 1/2 hour or so.
This step isn't entirely necessary but it does help keep the zucchini a little more on the dry side.
(This would be a good place to multi-task. While the zuchs are drying out - mix up the burger etc.- just be sure to wash your hands after handling raw meat.)

Fill a bowl with enough olive oil to coat all of the zucchini and mix it with the herbs.
Spread out evenly on a cookie sheet.
Bake in a super duper hot oven.
450 degrees for 15 minutes.
Try to flip them with tongs or a spatula about half way through.
or
method 3:
You can also mix equal parts parm cheese and bread crumbs, beat and egg and bread the zucchini by dipping it first into the egg, then into the parm/breadcrumb mix.
Afterward bake as above.

The method I used that yielded the best results was method 2.
It kept the zucchini little on the dry side and coating the slices entirely in oil made sure they were all evenly coated with the oil mixture.

sooo good.