Wild Rocky Mountain Burgers with Chanterelles

Pairs well with:

Pinot Noir

Every pour of our Pinot Noir brings you a delicious blend of berry flavors and the romantic aroma of violet.

The beautiful trumpet-shaped chanterelle mushroom is found in the wild in the Pacific Northwest. When they are in season I use them as much as possible. Venison,

chanterelles and blueberries offer a delicious “hint of the wild” in my burger.

Ingredients:

Chanterelles

2 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound chanterelles, sliced

2 shallots, thinly sliced

¼ cup Sutter Home Chardonnay

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Patties

1 2/3 pounds ground beef chuck (20% fat)

½ pound ground venison

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup Sutter Home Pinot Noir

2 tablespoons crushed and chopped juniper berries

1/2 cup finely chopped thyme leaves

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Blueberry Mayo

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons blueberries, pureed

Vegetable oil to oil grill rack

6 good quality hamburger buns, split

3 ounces prewashed baby spinach

6 ounces coat Gouda cheese, shredded

Instructions:

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

To make the chanterelles, heat the oil and butter in a fireproof skillet. Add the chanterelles and shallots, cook, stirring 7-8 minutes. Add chardonnay and cook until liquid is evaporated, season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.

To make the patties, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form into patties leaving slight indention in the center of patties. Refrigerate until grilling.

To make the blueberry mayo, combine mayonnaise and blueberry puree in small bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until assembling the burgers.

Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover and cook, turning once, until done to preference, 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, place the buns, cut side down, on the grill rack and toast until golden brown.

To assemble the burgers, spread a generous amount of the blueberry mayo over the cut sides of the buns. On each bun bottom, place equal portions of the spinach, a patty, chanterelles and shredded cheese. Add the bun tops and serve.