A Burger For Julia…Remembering The French Chef.

What could be more American than the iconic Julia Child?!!! Though her cooking was primarily French, she taught Americans how to cook, AND, how to have fun in the kitchen.

This burger is inspired by many of The French Chef’s favorite dishes. This burger isn’t afraid of a little butter…or cheese, or wine, or even bread. Sometimes “excess is good”.

Ingredients:

6 Patties:
2 lbs. Ground Chuck
3 Hard Boiled Eggs (diced)
1/4 C. Sutter Home Chardonnay
2 Tblsp. Colavita Olive Oil
1 Tblsp. Herbs de Provence
2 tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper

Hash Brown Hats:
2 C. Frozen Hash Browns (thin match sticks if possible)
3 Shallots (sliced)
1 C. Vegetable Oil (for frying & coating grill)
2 Tblsp. Butter
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

Dijon & Brie Hollandaise:
3 Egg Yolks
1 tsp. Water
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1 1/2 Sticks of Salted Butter (12 Tblsp.)
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
2 tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tblsp. Dijon Mustard
2 oz. Brie (trimmed)
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

6 Large Slices of Fresh Tomato
2 C. Fresh French Endive (or Frisee)
3 Tblsp. Butter (room temp.)
6 French Bread Rolls

Instructions:

Makes 6 burgers. Prep time 35 min. Cooking time 10-15 min. Should be served medium rare.

Heat gas grill to high heat.

In a mixing bowl, combine ground chuck, hard boiled eggs, chardonnay, olive oil, herbs de provence, salt and pepper. Mix only until combined, do not over mix. Cover and let sit.

In a frying pan, over high heat on grill, sautee shallots in vegetable oil and butter until golden brown, add prepared hash browns and salt. Cook hash browns until very crispy and brown. Drain on paper towel, and cut into 6 wedges.

Turn heat down to Medium-High. In a mixing bowl, combine egg yolks and water, and whisk 1-2 min. Add sugar and whisk again. Put mixing bowl over sauce pan with water on grill, making a double broiler. Whisk over heat for 5 min., until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and add butter a bit at a time, then add cheese and whisk until melted. Next add salt, lemon and nutmeg, continuing to whisk until smooth. Cover.

Lower heat to Medium. Grill patties to medium rare, (approx. 6-7 minutes per side depending on grill).

Warm split rolls on edge of grill.

Butter both sides of toasted rolls. Place burger on bottom half of roll, then hollandaise, then hash browns, then endive, then tomato slice, top with second half of roll. Serve warm.