TRUFFLED BISTRO BURGER WITH PORTABELLA FRENCH FRIES

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

Bright and full-bodied, this Zinfandel wine is a curious contradiction in tastes.

Ingredients

Balsamic Red Onions
2 large red onions, 1/4 inch slices
1 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Portabella French Fries
4 large portabella mushrooms
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
5 ounce package of Lightly Salted Kettle Chips
Truffle Aioli
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoon Truffle oil
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Patties
2 lbs Angus ground chuck
0.5 lbs ground veal
6 tablespoon  hamburger seasoning
Vegetable oil for seasoning the grill
12 slices Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 large Kaiser Rolls
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces baby Arugula, stems removed
2 large heirloom tomatoes, 1/4 inch thick slices

 

Instructions

Preheat a gas grill to a medium-low setting. To prepare the balsamic onions, place the onions and balsamic vinegar into a sauce pan and cook over a medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes. Remove the sauce pan and set aside to cool. To prepare the Portabella French fries, remove the stems from the mushrooms and scrape the gills off the underside. Rub the mushroom caps gently with a damp cloth to clean any dirt from them. Drizzle olive oil over the mushroom caps and then season with salt. Place mushrooms on the grill, lightly covered with aluminum foil, and grill on each side for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the grill and set aside. After five minutes, slice the mushrooms into ½ inch strips. Lightly whisk two eggs in a bowl and set aside. Place the Kettle Chips into a gallon size zip lock bag and crush the chips to a bread crumb like consistency. Dip the mushroom strips into the egg and then coat with crushed Kettle Chips. Place the prepared mushroom fries into a sealed container (single layer only) and set aside to keep cool. To prepare the Truffle Aioli, place the egg yolks and lemon juice into the bowl of a food processor. While the machine is running, add the truffle oil and then slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream until incorporated and emulsified. Season with salt and then cover mixture and set aside to keep cool. To prepare the patties, add the ground chuck, veal, and hamburger seasoning to a large mixing bowl. Equivalent hamburger seasoning may be used (amount of seasoning may vary depending on the type used). Combine the ingredients, while handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting. Form the mixture into six patties to fit the size of the rolls. Pierce the patties (1/4 way through each patty) with a fork approximately 10 times on each side. Loosely wrap the patties in plastic wrap and set aside to keep cool until ready to grill. Preheat a 10” cast iron skillet on the grill prior to cooking the patties over a medium-high setting. When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil and place the patties on the grill. Cook the patties, turning only once, until done to preference, 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, place 2 slices of the gruyere cheese on top of each patty and close the grill lid. When the patties are ready, remove and place on a tray and loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Turn the heat to high directly under the cast iron skillet. Add ½ cup olive oil and heat. When the oil is ready (approximately 30 seconds), place the prepared mushroom fries into the hot oil and fry on each side for approximately 30 seconds or until golden brown. Remove the fried mushrooms and place on a plate with napkins to absorb the oil and loosely cover with foil to keep warm. To prepare the rolls, slice the Kaiser rolls in half and lightly brush olive oil on the bottom side of each roll. Lightly toast on the grill for approximately 20 seconds. To assemble the burger, lightly spread the truffle aioli to the bottom halves of each piece of bread. Add a thin layer of the Arugula, a tomato slice, and the burger patty to the bottom half of the roll. Drain the balsamic onions prior to use. Top each patty with 3-4 onion rings and three French fried mushrooms. Place a small dollop of the aioli on top of each piece of fried mushrooms. Add the top half of the roll.