The Cottage Smallholder


stumbling self sufficiency in a small space

Lamb mince burger recipe with chips in our halogen oven by Danny

Photo: Roll of seasoned lamb mince

Photo: Roll of seasoned lamb mince

Lamb can be greasy but these were delicious and not at all fatty. If our friend KC is reading this, then you can skip the rest, K!
She hates lamb. We did not know this when we invited K and JP for Sunday lunch of roast lamb and dauphinoise potatoes. Poor K was too polite to say anything when she arrived and heard the menu but she really cheered up when the big dish of potatoes was placed on the table.

One bite later she realised that, as a special treat, the lamb was roasted on a rack directly over the potatoes so that all the juices would add extra flavour to the dauphinoise spuds. She did not say a word and we only found out a long time afterwards.

Fiona picked up two 500g packs of “British and New Zealand Minced Lamb” on special offer at Tesco, £5 for two. It was our first time trying lamb burgers, so I just guessed at what would be the best spices to mix in. Rosemary and garlic are used with roast lamb joints and thyme seemed like a good addition.

On the first evening, they were quite good but we both agreed that they lacked something. Fiona is Queen of Tweaks so she came up with vegetable stock granules. That’s just like a super seasoning of onions, celery and other veg flavours. The second attempt last night was perfect. Cooked in our Andrew James halogen oven for just long enough so they were juicy but not pink. You do not want to eat rare mince of any sort.

It’s best to use chilled mince because at room temperature it is disgustingly greasy to knead and it will take a good dollop of washing up liquid to clean your hands afterwards.

If I were grilling (broiling) I would cook them at 150 c for the same time.
The burgers may be slightly pink in the middle after 14 minutes but they will cook through while the chips are being finished off. This recipe makes two chunky half pounder lamb burgers.

Lamb mince burger recipe with chips
Ingredients:
500 gms minced lamb 20% fat (chilled)
1.5 level tsp of fresh thyme (stripped from 7 or 8 sprigs) or one quarter tsp dried thyme
2 leaves of rosemary very finely chopped or a pinch of dried rosemary
Half tsp vegetable stock granules or powder (I used Knorr)
Half tsp ground black pepper
Quarter tsp salt
Quarter tsp garlic granules
Frozen oven chips

Method:
With the extension collar in place, put the chips on the high rack. Cook at 225c for 20 minutes
Meanwhile, pre heat your normal oven to 80c to keep things warm
Put the chilled lamb mince in a bowl and add all the other ingredients
Mix it well for 2 minutes using your fingers.
Make 2 patties about 12cm/5 inches wide. I rolled it into a cylinder shape about 15cm/6 inches long, cut it in half, stood each half on end and flattened them into patties.
Remove chips and place in warm oven
Put the burgers in the halogen oven at 175c for 7 minutes each side
Then remove them and place on plates in the warm oven
Turn the chips and cook them in the halogen oven for 8 minutes at 225c or until golden brown
Serve with peas


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9 Comments

  1. Natasha

    I agree with the comment about supermarket lamb – a far inferior product to a lovely well hung farm lamb.

  2. Shereen

    I must try the stock trick next time I’m making burgers it sounds perfect.

    The last lamb burgers I made I used coriander seeds, cumin, tumeric, parsley, coarse black pepper and a tiny pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. They had a nice Moroccan hint to them that worked well with the flatbreads and yoghurty dressing.

  3. Michelle in NZ

    Try adding some mustard – dry or wet – for a flavour boost. The mustard heat kick cooks out leaving the mustard spicey flavour. I alway use it with beef and lamb burgers.

    Best wishes to Fiona and her Mother as well as to you and the Min Pins,

    Michelle and Zebbycat

  4. penny walker

    In my experience with our local lamb down here (sourced by our village butcher from a valley just 12 miles away), it has never ever been greasy and fatty, just 100% pure meat with the most delicious flavour that we always cook just pink for maximum tenderness. Unfortunately, supermarket meat is a different story, both here in France and in the UK 🙁 There is prob some truth in the old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ when it comes to buying meat.

    But home made chips …… now you’re talking !!

  5. Danny

    Of course she is pushing to the limits, Joanna. That’s just her nature. But she does rest up frequently and she can certainly do more now than she could six months ago. I guess it’s a race against time to get all the flowers into the ground. She did say to her mum tody when she went to see her in hospital (new knee) that she would scream if she laid eyes on another seed tray waiting to be planted out. But one more week and then it will be just tending.
    So I am happy to do the cooking these evenings. I am trying to do a few things too so weekday meals tend to be xxxx and chips far too frequently. It’s just a passing phase. Tonight it’s sausages slathered in Anna’s onion gravy (with chips!!).
    Happy outcome, Cookie Girl. That actually sounds really very tasty. 🙂

  6. Paula

    I’m with KC. I used to love lamb, and my grandmother made the best, best gravy in the world with lamb, but I had a restaurant in San Francisco turn me off lamb for life by serving me rare so-called lamb that was, as far as my mother was concerned, mutton. Ugh!

    I still can’t eat lamb, darn it.

  7. Cookie Girl

    I cooked lamb recently too – I love lamb burgers but this time I was making a variation of moussaka. I fried the minced lamb and drained the excess oil and then added tomato sauce (which is smooth pureed tomatoes in a tin from France.) Well, the whole thing looked like it was swimming in fat (eurgh!). So I tipped it all in a sieve got rid of the oily tomato sauce and added another jar of tomato sauce to the lamb. That looked better ! Finally layered that with courgettes, white sauce over that, sliced potatoes layered on and more white sauce and baked for 40 mins. Yum ! All the best to Fiona.

  8. veronica

    Poor K! Oh, but I love lamb dauphinoise cooked directly over potatoes with all the juices dripping into them

    Hope Fiona is OK, and taking it easy still.

  9. Joanna

    Hope Fiona is doing okay Danny, and she has not overdone it and that is why your stepping in. Mind you, you do a good job of stepping into Fiona’s shoes 😀

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