Spaniard Burger with Oven Fries and Pimento Ketchup
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Spanish burgers and oven-roasted fries with homemade spicy ketchup.
Ingredients
For the paprika ketchup:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon hot paprika, chili powder or ground red chili pepper
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 1 cup tomato sauce
For the oven fries:
- 3 large starchy potatoes
- Sea salt and coarse black pepper or seasoning blend
For the burgers:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 large onions, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 pound Spanish chorizo, casing removed
- 1 pound ground beef chuck or sirloin
- 4 ciabatta rolls, split and toasted
- 2 large cloves garlic, halved
- 2 ripe tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
For the ketchup, heat a saucepot with 2 tablespoons EVOO over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Cook to soften, 8-10 minutes; add the smoked and hot paprika or the chili powder or chili pepper and stir for a minute more. Add the flour, stir to combine, whisk in vinegar then stock. Add tomato sauce, simmer 10 minutes. Transfer to food processor and puree until smooth. Rinse the processor bowl and return to the base.
For the fries, cut the potatoes into 10 wedges each, dress them lightly with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet for 40-45 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden and crispy.
For the burgers, heat the EVOO in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and melt it into the EVOO; add the onions and cook until tender, stirring frequently, 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and add the chicken stock. Keep warm over low heat.
Place the chorizo in the food processor and pulse to finely chop; transfer to a bowl. Add the beef and season with a little salt and aggressively with black pepper. Combine the meats and form four patties that are thinner at the center and thicker at the edges.
Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Drizzle with EVOO, about 1 tablespoon, and cook the patties for about 10 minutes, turning once.
Remove the fries from the oven and switch on the broiler.
Char the split rolls under the broiler to deeply golden. Rub the hot toasted roll surfaces with cut garlic, then rub the tomato flesh into the rolls. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and parsley.
Serve the burgers on the rolls with the onions on top and the fries and ketchup alongside.
