Cremini Mushroom Burger with Orange-Grilled Radicchio and Gruyere Cheese

Pairs well with:

Sauvignon Blanc

With hints of passion fruit, melon, and citrus, this wine beckons you to kick back and find a perfect porch swing.

Giving my favorite burger in the world (the mushroom burger) a twist!

Ingredients:

Sweet Herbed Mayonnaise

2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped rosemary
1/4 cup finely chopped basil
½ tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Tabasco Pepper Sauce

Patties

2 pounds ground beef chuck
½ cup finely chopped almonds
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Sutter Home Zinfandel

Sauteed Cremini Mushrooms

2 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
12 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon Sutter Home Zinfandel
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Grilled Radicchio

2 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon of freshly grated orange zest
2 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 ½ heads radicchio, quartered leaving stem attached
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, sliced thinly
6 high-quality hamburger buns, split

Instructions:

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

To make the mayonnaise, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until assembling the burgers.

To make the patties, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Form the mixture into 6 equal patties to fit the buns, cover, and refrigerate until ready to grill.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch fireproof skillet on the grill rack or side burner (if available). Add the shallot; sauté about 1 minute. Add mushrooms, thyme, wine, salt, and pepper. Saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Cover the skillet and set aside.

To prepare the radicchio, mix orange juice, orange zest and olive oil in medium bowl. Toss the six quarters of the radicchio in mixture, coating evenly. Transfer quarters to plate and season with salt and pepper. Place each quarter on grill, cut sides down. Grill 3-4 minutes until slightly browned and crispy. Turn to other cut side and grill 3-4 minutes more. Transfer to plate and cut the stem out of each quarter.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, 4-6 minutes on each side for medium. Place the cheese slices on the patties during the last 3 minutes of grilling. Place the buns, cut sides down on the outer edges of the rack during the last 2 minutes of grilling to toast lightly.

To assemble the burgers, spread the parsley mayonnaise over the cut sides of the bun tops. Arrange a quarter of radicchio on each bun bottom, followed by a cheese-topped patty, and equal portions of the mushrooms. Add the bun tops and serve.