Lamb Burgers

I'm a fan of most kinds of burgers and meatballs - I love the variety of flavours and textures and the little surprises that are often incorporated therein just to make them special. Mince has such potential - from a small mound it can be transformed into so many delights.

I bought some lamb mince a couple of weeks ago from Ginger Pig that went in to the freezer where it stayed till the end of last week. I was planning something middle easternish - had a hankering for spiced white bean paste and pittas and the sweet softness of beetroots. Lamb is so often the central dish so some little lamb balls seemed like a good idea. I wanted them to have variations in texture as well as flavour and so I added some soaked bulghur wheat to punctuate the smoothness of the meat and add a lovely nuttiness to the finished patties.

With fresh dill and thyme chopped through, and the sweetness of onions and garlic already cooked the final result was really good - perfect for a midweek supper.

Lamb Burgers

500g minced lamb

2 tablespoons bulgur wheat, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes

1 onion finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons chopped dill

2 tablespoons chopped thyme

Oil for cooking

Put the lamb in to a bowl. Drain the bulgur wheat and add to the lamb. In a large frypan brown the onions and garlic in about a tablespoon of oliveoil on a gentle heat till fragrant. Drain on kitchen paper then add to the meat along with the herbs and tomato paste.

Form in to small burgers and cook in the same pan with a little more oil over a medium heat till cooked through - 15-20 minutes.

Serve with salads and bread and some hummus or spicy bean paste for a very tasty supper.