Gorgonzola Burgers with Smoked Paprika Grilled Onion Rings and Creamy Preserved-Lemon Fennel Relish
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Smoked Paprika Grilled Red Onions:
Extra virgin olive oil for grill rack
2 large red onions, peeled
2 tablespoons Colavita Limonolio, lemon
flavored extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika
½ teaspoon spicy seasoned salt
Ingredients for the Relish:
1 tablespoon Colavita Limonolio, lemon-flavored extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup finely diced red onions
¼ cup finely diced sweet red bell pepper
½ cup shredded fennel bulb
2 tablespoons preserved lemon zest, minced or thin strips
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely minced
½ teaspoon spicy seasoned salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
Ingredients for the Patties:
1 ½ pounds freshly ground chuck
1 ½ teaspoons spicy seasoned salt
2 tablespoons Sutter Home Zinfandel
1 tablespoon Colavita Limonolio, lemon-flavored extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely minced
2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
Olive Oil for grill rack
½ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Ingredients for Assembly:
6 4-inch diameter Onion Kaiser Rolls,sliced in half
6 bibb or butter lettuce leaves
Instructions
For skewed grilled onions:
Prepare barbecue at medium heat. Brush
grill rack with olive oil. Pierce one
or two large red onions all the way
through horizontally with thin metal
poultry-lacing skewers or six-inch
soaked wooden skewers. Space each
skewer about ½ inch apart as you move
horizontally down the onion,
attempting to get six skewers in one
onion, or using part of the second
onion to get six slices. Cut the onion
half way between each skewer so you get
¼ to ½ inch thick slices, each held
together with a skewer. If the rings
are not held together firmly, run
another skewer through each slice,
about an inch from the first skewer.
Pour 2 tablespoons of lemon-flavored
extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl
and brush liberally on both sides of
each onion slice. Set onions aside on
baking sheet. In small bowl, combine 2
tablespoons Smoked Paprika, ½ teaspoon
salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper well.
Use a spoon and liberally sprinkle the
spice mixture over both sides of each
skewered onion. Place onions on grill
and cook just until they start to
become softened and charred on each
side. You can spray onions with water
one or two times on each side, as they
grill, to keep them moist. When done,
place slices on baking sheet to cool 5
minutes. Remove skewers from each
slice, while holding the rings
together. Set onions aside until burger
assembly.
For Relish:
Increase grill temperature to medium-
high heat. Pour 1 tablespoon lemon-
flavored olive oil in fire-proof, non-
stick skillet and place on grill. Add
red onions and cook for 2-3 minutes
until this start to wilt. Add red bell
peppers and cook another 2-3 minutes
until they are tender crisp. Remove
skillet from heat and pour vegetable
mixture into a medium-sized bowl. Let
cool 10 minutes. Pour shredded fennel
bulb, preserved lemon zest, fresh
parsley, seasoned salt, mayonnaise,
Dijon Mustard and sugar into the bowl
with the onions and peppers and stir
well to combine. Set Aside.
For Patties:
In large bowl, quickly break ground
chuck into smaller pieces. Over the
meat, sprinkle the seasoned salt,
Zinfandel, lemon-flavored Olive Oil,
fresh parsley, and smoked paprika. Stir
the ingredients into the meat with a
fork. Divide meat into 6 equal portions
on a baking sheet. Wet hands with water
and form meat quickly into 6 patties
that are about ½ inch thick in the
middle and ¾ inch around the edges. Do
not over handle.
Turn grill to medium-heat heat and
brush grill rack with more olive oil.
Place patties on grill rack and cook
about 4 minutes per side or to desired
level of doneness. During last 2
minutes of grilling burgers, spoon
crumbled gorgonzola cheese in the
center of each grilled burger, dividing
cheese between the 6 burgers. Remove
burgers from grill and let rest for 2
minutes.
While burgers are resting, place the
rolls, cut side down on the outer edges
of the grill rack to lightly toast.
To assemble the burgers, spoon relish
generously onto bottom on rolls. Place
a grilled patty on each bottom roll
then top each patty with a piece of
bibb or butter lettuce, then a slice of
grilled onion and another spoon of the
relish, Cover with top roll and serve
immediately.