Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (27 page)

Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the oven rack 6 inches from the heat source. Arrange the bacon on a slotted broiler pan and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until very crisp. When you remove the bacon from the oven, switch on the broiler.

Use your hands to combine the meat with the shallots, parsley, lots of black pepper, and a little salt. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form each portion into a patty. Drizzle some of the oil into a cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan and place over high heat. When the oil smokes, add the burgers and cook for 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Add a minute more per side for each degree of doneness past that.

In a small pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until light brown. Season the roux with the mustard, hot sauce, and Worcestershire, then whisk in the Guinness and stir together for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened. Turn the heat to low and stir in the cheese in a figure-eight motion until smooth.

Arrange the pumpernickel slices on a foil-lined baking sheet and toast lightly on each side under the hot broiler—less than 1 minute. Pour the Welsh rarebit sauce evenly over the toasts. Return the toasts to the broiler until the cheese is brown and bubbly, 2 minutes. Place a burger on each of 4 slices and top with a handful of watercress, a crisscross of 2 bacon slices, and a slice of tomato seasoned with salt and pepper. Top with a second slice of cheesy toast, cheese side down. The result will be a patty melt fit for a king (or for the Queen of England). Pile a few salt-and-vinegar chips alongside.

Everything Salmon Burgers with Honey-Dijon Potato Salad

If you love Sunday because it means everything bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon, this is your cheat—good for every other day of the week.

SERVES 4

Place the salmon in a food processor and pulse to coarse-grind the fish. Transfer the fish to a mixing bowl and season with the grill seasoning, poppy and sesame seeds, onion flakes, and dill. Use your hands to mix, then divide into 4 equal portions and form each portion into a patty.

Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Cook the burgers for 3 minutes on each side for a pink center, 4 to 5 minutes on each side for fully cooked.

While the burgers cook, combine the cream cheese with the scallions. Fold in the sour cream and lemon juice. Split and lightly toast the rolls

Serve the burgers on the toasted buns topped with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and some of the cream cheese sauce.

SERVES 4

Quarter the potatoes and place in a medium pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, and salt the water. Boil potatoes until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and place on a baking sheet for 5 minutes to cool and dry.

Combine the honey, mustard, and vinegar in a bowl, then whisk in the EVOO. Season with salt and pepper. To the bowl add the radishes, onions, celery, cress or parsley, and the potatoes. Toss the potato salad, adjust the salt and pepper, then serve.

These burgers are packed with garden herbs and stuffed with a tangy surprise. Serve with a garden salad or oil-and-vinegar-dressed slaw on the side.

SERVES 4

Heat an outdoor grill to medium-high or preheat a grill pan or nonstick skillet with a liberal drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat.

Use your hands to combine the beef in a bowl with the parsley, dill, chives, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper. Score the meat into 4 equal portions with the side of your hand. Grab one portion and press about 2 rounded tablespoons of cheese into the center, forming a burger around the cheesy center filling. Drizzle the patties with oil for outdoor grilling or add to the hot oil in the skillet if you're cooking on the stovetop. Cook the burgers for 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium doneness and to allow the heat to transfer through to the cheesy centers.

In a small bowl combine the honey with the mustard and sour cream, and season with salt and pepper.

Pile the burgers on the bun bottoms and top with lettuce, cucumber, radish, and onion. Spread the honey-mustard sauce on the bun tops and set into place.

When it begins to heat up outside, I find people split into two groups. There's the group that wants to ready themselves for swimwear season and “cut back,” subsisting on flavored waters until they reach their target weight. Then there are the gauchos. Gauchos are cowboys and cowgirls who get more active as the days get longer. At the end of those first warm days of almost-summer, this burger is a sure-fiery hit for people who keep their appetite up as the temperature rises.

SERVES 4 GAUCHOS

For the pico de gallo: Preheat the broiler or outdoor grill. Char the tomatoes, peppers, and onions all over. If using the broiler, halve and seed the tomatoes and peppers, place on a broiler pan, and char the skin side only. If using the outdoor grill, char the vegetables first and then seed them. Chop the tomatoes, finely chop the peppers, coarsely chop the onions, and combine them in a bowl. Stir in the lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, and salt to taste.

For the burgers: If you are not using an outdoor grill, heat a grill pan or a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use your hands to combine the beef, spices, Worcestershire, garlic, and beer in a bowl. Score the mixture into 4 equal portions with the side of your hand and form each portion into a large patty. Make the burgers more shallow at the centers than at the edges to battle burger bulge as the patties cook up. Drizzle the burgers with the EVOO and cook for 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare (the centers will be pink). Place 2 slices of cheese over each burger during the last few minutes of cooking, and tent the burgers with foil or close the grill lid to help melt the cheese.

Pile some shredded lettuce on the bun bottoms, top with the burgers, then pile on the pico de gallo and set the bun tops in place. Pass the chips at the table.