Costa del Sol Lamb Burger with Roasted Red Pepper Marmalade

One of my favorite places to spend a vacation is on the Costa del Sol, which is the sun-drenched southern portion of Spain.I have come to love the local flavors of Spain and have combined a number of them together in this burger. Eating this burger will transport you to a bright, beautiful beach on the coast of Spain. Not literally, of course. Just gastronomically speaking!

Ingredients:

Roasted Red Pepper Marmalade

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped jarred piquillo or regular roasted red peppers, drained

1/2 cup minced onion

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons sugar

2/3 cup Sutter Home White Merlot wine

1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

Gazpacho Bread Salad:

1 good quality potato hamburger bun, split

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 cup diced tomato

2/3 cup diced English cucumber

3 tablespoons finely minced celery

3 tablespoons finely minced red onion

1 clove garlic, finely minced

Pinch dried red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

Patties:

1/2 pound Spanish chorizo, chopped

2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 3/4 pounds ground lamb

3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack

6 tablespoons good-quality unsalted butter, room temperature

6 good-quality potato hamburger buns, split

8 ounces Mahon cheese, shredded (can substitute Iberico or jack cheese)

Instructions:

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat.

To make Roasted Red Pepper Marmalade, heat a medium fireproof saucepan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, red pepper, and onion and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sugar cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine and vinegar. Turn heat to low. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.

To make Gazpacho Bread Salad, place hamburger bun halves on outer edges of the rack to toast lightly, for 3-4 minutes, turning once. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large fireproof non-stick skillet on the grill. Dice toasted bun halves and sprinkle with smoked paprika. When oil is hot, add diced bread to skillet and cook until browned and crispy, stirring occasionally. Transfer to paper towels to drain. In a large bowl combine tomato, cucumber, celery, onion, garlic, red pepper, sherry vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss well to combine. Just before serving, drain and then stir in 1 cup fried diced bread.

To make the patties, place chorizo, capers, parsley, and thyme in the bowl of a processor; pulse until finely chopped. In a large mixing bowl combine chorizo mixture, lamb, salt, and pepper. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the bread.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Spread equal amounts of butter on the cut side of buns. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, just until done, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. During the last few minutes of cooking, top each burger with equal amounts of cheese and place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly.

To assemble the burgers, spread a generous amount of Roasted Red Pepper Marmalade on the cut side of the buns. On each bun bottom, place a patty topped with cheese and a generous amount of Gazpacho Bread Salad. Add bun tops

Makes 6 burgers.