Burgers:
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
Olive oil
A pinch of cumin seeds (or 1/2 tsp ground cumin)
1 tbsp coriander seeds (or 2 tsp ground coriander)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/4-1/3 cup)
1 heaped tbsp English mustard (or whatever mustard you have)
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
8 burger buns
Chips:
4½ lbs large potatoes, skins left on, cut into chips ½ inch thick
Olive oil
1 whole bulb of garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsp sea salt
Place the ground beef in a large mixing bowl. In a big frying pan, slowly cook the onion in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes until softened but not colored. Add the onion to the meat - it will give sweetness to the burger. Using a pestle and mortar, bash up the cumin and coriander seeds with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper until fine and add to the meat (or if using ground spices, just add and skip the pestle and mortar). Then add the Parmesan, mustard, egg and half the breadcrumbs and mix well. If the mixture is too sticky, add a few more breadcrumbs.
Lay some wax paper on a tray or large plate and sprinkle over some of the remaining breadcrumbs. Shape the meat into 8 fat burgers and place these on top of the crumbs on the tray. Sprinkle more crumbs on top and press down gently. The burgers are better if they are chilled before cooking, so put them in the fridge for an hour or so.
Half an hour before you want to cook the burgers, put a large flat baking tray in the oven and turn the heat to 450°F. Parboil your chips (still with their skins on) for about 10 minutes in salted boiling water and drain in a colander. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan, smash the garlic bulb up and chuck in the cloves, then add the chips. Toss in the oil and season with freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the contents of the pan to the preheated tray and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until crisp and golden. Now make your rosemary salt. Remove the leaves from the rosemary and put them in a pestle and mortar with the lemon zest and salt. Bash up to make a green paste, adding more salt if the mixture is too wet. Push this paste through a sieve, and keep to one side until you're ready to serve.
Take your burgers out of the fridge and fry them in a little oil or place on the grill on a medium to high heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the burgers and how you like them, turning occasionally. Serve them on toasted burger buns, with tomato ketchup, and your fat chips sprinkled with the rosemary salt. Other great things to top your burger with are layers of sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced cheese, raw onion rings, lettuce, a grating of fresh horseradish - even a fried egg.
