Salami inspired burgers

Some time ago, we were asked by one of our trade customers to suggest a burger recipe to help them promote items from our outdoor cooking range.
Now you make think that outdoor cooking is a summer thing, dragging the barbecue out of the garage, chilling the beers and inviting all the neighbours round and there is nothing wrong with that.  But there is more to outdoor eating than that and our range includes some great compact outdoor cooking items that are practical to use in the great outdoors or in the back yard all year long.

We decided to come up with a totally new recipe on this occasion and we have yet to see it published anywhere else, so wanted to share it with you here.  These are inspired by the flavours of Italian salamis, perked up with the aniseedy waft of fennel seeds and warmed with paprika.  These have been served up on one of our baking and serving trays

Unfortunately rain stopped play on the day these were created, so the photos are taken using the griddle plate on the indoor hob, rather than over fire on its chapa legs, but you get the idea..... and you also get to see how versatile the chapa griddle is.


500g belly pork, ask your butcher to mince it for you

250g smoked streaky bacon

7 fennel flower heads or 1 dessertspoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoon fresh marjoram 

Black pepper

1 tablespoon smoked paprika 

 If the butcher hasn't minced the pork for you, chuck it in a food processor and give it a quick blitz, or if you are lucky enough to own a Spong mincer or a fancy attachment for your food mixer (several brands are available and as none of them have offered us money or free samples to endorse them, we will name no names), mince it yourself.  

Finely chop the bacon, the fennel flowers (if using) and the marjoram.

Mix all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl - start with a wooden spoon, but then get in there with your hands, it's the best way to bring the mixture together.

Shape in to 6 equal sized burgers and set aside while you heat your barbecue, outdoor hob, chapa, griddle plate or frying pan

As soon as the cooking surface is hot, slide in your burgers.  You shouldn't need any oil, as there is a fair amount of fat in the pork and bacon.  This is not only great for cooking, but adds flavour and juiciness to your burger.

Cook for 6 minutes on each side - do NOT be tempted to keep prodding and turning them, they will end up sticking and/or falling apart, let the heat do the work.

                                              

Serve in ciabatta rolls with a tart apple sauce for a Britalian fusion burger.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2017 ©

Autumn treats

WARM DISHES FOR COOLER DAYS

The leaves are turning colour - those still left on the trees after the recent winds - and the temperature is definitely falling with them, so here are some lovely warming recipes for Autumn.
I made these indoors, I have to admit, but we have recently sold a lot of our Outdoor Hobs, which will no doubt be used on Bonfire Night and on those lovely cold and crisp days which really bring the joys of Autumn to mind. 
One bowl of charcoal will barbecue for up to 4 hours, but if you pop the pot on, you can cook for up to 7 hours - believe me, I experimented in the Springtime ( remember the snowy April we had?).  The seasons really do seem topsy turvy these days.  

 

We should all be doing whatever we can to minimise the impact of climate change and in our own way, we are trying to make a difference with our cookware range - we don't use anything other than iron, wood and flax oil for the pans, we make sure that you can restore the surface and replace most of the parts, but most of all these are built to last - they are durable and get better with use and age.  Sustainable materials, low component miles and a complete contrast to the concept of "disposable" product, with built in obsolescence

Anyway, enough of the philosophy - on with the cooking..............

Baked beans

500g haricot or cannellini beans, soaked and cooked
1 tblsp oil
1 tblsp black treacle
2 tsp grain mustard
4 cloves garlic
1 tblsp brown sugar
½ tsp cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
2 tins chopped tomatoes
250 ml water
Salt and pepper to taste

Warm the oil in a casserole dish over a medium heat and add the chopped garlic. Cook gently for a couple of minutes. Don't let it burn or it will taste very bitter. Add all the other ingredients, except the beans and stir well to mix.  Cook until the sugar has dissolved and then add the beans.
Cover with the lid and simmer for at least a couple of hours, but they will be even better after 5 or 6 hours.  You can do this on the hob, on the slow cooker base (use the LOW) setting or on the charcoal base of the Outdoor Hob

These are fantastic on toast, with baked potatoes, with sticky sausages or chuck in some chorizo, chunky bacon pieces or chestnuts to make an even more sustaining meal.

These sausages were added to a pile of caramelised onions and then I stirred in a large dollop of marmalade to make a very sticky and tangy glaze.

Pumpkin and cashews

2 tblsp oil

4 cloves of garlic

2 heaped tsp cumin seed

2 tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp paprika

750g squash or pumpkin (peeled and seeded weight), cut into chunks

Juice of 1 orange

100g cashew nuts

2 large onions, peeled and sliced

Dry sherry

Pre-heat the oven to 180º C/gas mark 4

Crush the garlic with the salt and cumin to make a paste.

Warm the oil in a cast iron casserole and add the garlic paste, cinnamon and paprika.  

Cook gently for a minute, then stir in the squash or pumpkin. Stir well to coat with the spice mix.

Add the orange juice.

Put the casserole in the oven and roast for approx 25 minutes.

Meanwhile heat 1 tblsp oil and a knob of butter in a frying pan

When the butter foams, add the sliced onions and cook over a medium heat til soft and beginning to turn colour.

Add a splash of dry sherry and continue cooking until sticky and caramelised.

Remove the casserole from the oven and scatter the cashews on top - return to the oven for a further 5 minutes to heat the nuts.

Serve the pumpkin and the onions on top of a bed of cous cous.

This would also work well as an accompaniment to roast chicken or roast pork, particularly with some buttered kale or spinach.

If you like these recipes, have a look on the website for more details of the pots and pans I used.

The Outdoor Hob is a fantastically versatile charcoal powered barbecue and outdoor slow cooker, which you can use all year round.

The cast iron casserole has a 4 litre capacity and is great on the hob and in the oven - I use mine for so many thing from curries to crumbles, risotto to rice pudding

The spun iron frying pans have a completely natural flax oil finish, which gets better and better the more you use them.

© Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2015

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk