Chef and author Ollie Hunter’s new book Join the Greener Revolution: 30 Easy ways to live and eat sustainably is a manifesto returning to the three main principles introduced in his first book: Zero Waste, Organic and 50% Produce within 30 miles. Ollie illustrates how we can endeavour to use natural resources sustainably and all chapters are punctuated with Ollie’s trademark recipes. Try out his broad bean veggie burgers recipe below.
by Ollie Hunter
These tasty veggie burgers with goat’s cheese, apple glaze and pickled beetroot hits the spot with its many layers of flavour. The pickled beetroot makes more than you need but it will keep for at least a month.
MAKES 4 BURGERS
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PICKLED BEETROOT
100 ml/3 1⁄3 fl oz/1⁄3 cup red wine vinegar
200 ml/6 3⁄4 fl oz/3⁄4 cup cider vinegar
100 g/3 1⁄2 oz/1⁄2 cup golden caster (granulated) sugar
1 star anise
10 coriander seeds
10 cumin seeds
5 fennel seeds
2 raw beetroots
For the apple glaze
1 litre/quart/4 cups apple juice
280 ml/9 1⁄2 fl oz/scant 11/4 cups apple cider vinegar
120 g/41/4 oz/scant 2/3 cup golden caster (granulated) sugar
For the burgers
600 g/1 lb 5 oz sweet potatoes
240 g/8 1⁄2 oz cooked fava (broad) beans (1 x 400-g/14-oz drained can)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground dried chilli (hot red pepper) flakes
70 g/2 1⁄2 oz/1⁄2 cup broad (fava) bean flour
TO SERVE
4 slices of goat’s cheese
brioche burger buns
condiments of your choice
METHOD
Start by making the pickled beetroot. Stir together both vinegars, the sugar and all the spices in a saucepan and bring to the boil for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Meanwhile, peel the beetroots, then continue using the peeler to shave them into fine strips. Add the beetroot shavings to the warm pickling solution. Leave to infuse at room temperature for a minimum of 1 hour. The pickled beetroot will keep in a sterilized sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 month.
While this is happening, make the apple glaze. Stir together the apple juice, apple cider vinegar and sugar in a saucepan. Reduce over a medium heat for about 30–40 minutes or until there’s one-sixth left – you should have about 150 ml/5 fl oz/2/3 cup.
To make the veggie burgers, preheat the oven 200°C fan/220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
Place the sweet potatoes in a roasting pan and roast for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven but leave the oven on. Leave the potatoes until cool enough to touch and then scoop the flesh out of the skins. Place the sweet potato flesh, cooked broad beans, spices, dried chilli flakes, 30 g/1 oz of the flour and some salt to a food processor and blitz until bound together.
Tip the mixture out into a bowl and shape into 4 burger patties with your hands. Dip each patty in the remaining flour to coat the outside all over. Place on a well-oiled baking sheet and roast the burgers for 25 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. Place a slice of goat’s cheese on top of each burger and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Assemble the burgers inside your delicious homemade brioche buns, with any condiments you like. I always think a cheeky bit of mayonnaise (especially a herby one) on the bottom bun helps to keep it moist – place the burger on top, then drizzle over some apple glaze and finish with some pickled beetroot and the burger bun lid.
This veggie burgers recipe features in Ollie Hunter’s book Join the Greener Revolution: 30 easy ways to live and eat sustainably. Photograph by Louise Hagger.
