Venison burgers

Tamara West

Venison makes a lean burger with a special touch.

Ingredients

½	Onions, very finely chopped
1 clove	Garlic, crushed
1	Egg
2 slices	Wholemeal sandwich bread, soaked in 2 Tbsp milk, or use 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs and 2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp	Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp	Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tbsp	Fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp	Fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp	Fresh thyme, chopped
400 g	Venison mince (Main)
1 Tbsp	Olive oil
4	Burger buns, split and lightly toasted or grilled (Main)
6 Tbsp	Mayonnaise, or vegetable-style hummus
1 handful	Green cabbage, shredded, or the crinkly leaves of savoy cabbage
1 handful	Red cabbage, shredded
1 handful	Spinach leaves, small and tender, or use 1-2 kale leaves, torn into small pieces
1	Carrot, medium, peeled and finely shredded or coarsely grated
1	Shallot, very thinly sliced
1	Avocado, halved, stone removed, peeled and sliced, optional
4 tsp	Horseradish sauce, I used Mandy's

Directions

1. Place onion, garlic, egg, bread with milk, dijon mustard, parmesan and chopped herbs in a large bowl and mix well to combine. Add the venison mince, ½ teaspoon salt and grind over black pepper. Using wet hands mix together then form mixture into 4 patties, just pressing together enough to form loose but shaped patties.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the patties and pan-fry for 5 minutes on one side. Turn patties over and pan-fry for a further 3 minutes or until done. Remove patties from frying pan and leave to rest covered in foil to keep warm.
3. Smear the bottom half of each bun with some of the mayonnaise, then mix remaining mayonnaise through the shredded cabbage, spinach or kale, carrot and shallot. Place vegetables on the bun, then place on a patty, sliced avocado and horseradish sauce before topping with the other half of each bun.

Kathy recommends

• You could add 1 deseeded and chopped red chilli to the venison mixture.
• Flatten patties and make a small well in the middle of each — this will prevent the meat from forming a dome as it cooks.
• If you use raw kale in your burger, remember to pull away the centre stem and discard. Tear kale into small pieces.

Tip:

Make this recipe even better with homemade mayonnaise. See our how-to video here'How to make mayonnaise'.