Building Better Fourth Of July Burgers
If you're having people over on the Fourth of July, you want to prepare a meal that's fun, easy, and sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Enter cookbook author and cooking teacher Tori Ritchie.
At the Williams-Sonoma flagship store in Manhattan, Ritchie served up recipes that will fit the bill.
STUFFED BURGERS
Everybody loves burgers, and this is a tasty way to make them even better. Ritchie shows how to make the perfect stuffed burger, but first you have to choose your filling. Yummy options include bacon and blue cheese; feta, lemon and oregano; feta and caramelized onion; Roquefort and caramelized onion. Once you've chosen your filling, you're ready to start forming your burgers.
Important tip: The less you handle the ground beef, the better texture your burgers will have. Divide the meat into equal portions, then shape each portion into a ball. Using your thumb, make a deep depression in each ball. Spoon your chosen filling into the depression, shape the meat around the filling, then flatten. Don't flatten too much, however, or your burger will dry out on the grill.
GREEN GODDESS DIP
This dip was created in the 1920s by a chef at San Francisco's Palace Hotel. It's a blend of mayo, sour cream and herbs and can be served as a dip with vegetables and chips or as a salad dressing. Combine all the ingredients except the sour cream in a blender. Once the mixture is well-blended, stir in the sour cream by hand; adding it to the blender would liquefy it too much, and result in a runny dip. After making the dip, you must let it sit for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend.
S'MORES BARS
This dessert calls for the same ingredients that go into the campfire classic: graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows. The recipe is created so that kids can help make this treat. Once the graham cracker crust is formed, add the chocolate layer and the sprinkle on the topping of marshmallows and broken graham crackers. The bars are then refrigerated until firm, about four hours.
CRANBERRY LIMEADE
Who knew that dressing up prepared limeade could be so easy? Simply add cranberry juice and sliced limes.
RECIPES
STUFFED BURGERS
When stuffed with a savory filling, the basic burger takes on a whole new dimension. This recipe includes four different fillings to choose from. Two of them call for caramelizing a yellow onion, which is easy to prepare. In a fry pan over medium heat, warm 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil. Add the chopped onion, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is completely limp, 10 to 15 minutes. Uncover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is golden brown and sweet, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool before using. The recipe calls for mixing the ground beef and hamburger seasoning in a large bowl. If desired, you can divide the beef and seasoning between 2 bowls for easier mixing. Be careful not to over mix the ingredients, as this can produce an unpleasantly dense burger.
Burger filling options (choose one):
4 bacon slices, cooked until crispy and crumbled
2 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh oregano
2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1 small yellow onion, diced and caramelized
2 oz. Roquefort cheese, crumbled
1 small yellow onion, diced and caramelized
For the burgers:
2 1/4 lb. ground beef
5 Tbs. hamburger seasoning
1 large red onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Olive oil as needed
6 hamburger buns
Mayonnaise for serving
Lettuce leaves for serving
6 tomato slices
In a small bowl, stir together the filling ingredients of your choice. Set aside.
Place the ground beef in a large bowl and sprinkle with the hamburger seasoning. Using your hands, gently mix the ingredients together; do not over mix.
Divide the beef into 6 equal portions and shape each into a ball. Using your thumb, make a deep depression in each ball; do not push all the way through. Spoon about 1 Tbs. of the filling mixture into the depression. Gently shape the meat around the filling, sealing it inside. Using a burger press according to the manufacturer's instructions, or using your hands, form the balls into patties about 1 inch thick. Transfer the patties to a flexible easy-turn grill basket and set aside.
Put the red onion slices in a shallow bowl and toss with enough olive oil to lightly coat. Arrange on a nonstick grill topper. Set aside.
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill.
Place the grill topper on the grill. Cook, turning the onion slices once, until softened and slightly caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Place the burgers on the grill and cook, turning once, 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium, or until done to your liking.
Transfer each burger to the bottom half of a bun. Spread mayonnaise on the inside of each top bun. Top each burger with grilled onion slices, lettuce and tomatoes. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.
For more recipes, go to Page 2.GREEN GODDESS DIP
Redolent of fresh herbs, this dip is inspired by the classic green goddess salad dressing. The chef at San Francisco's Palace Hotel created the dressing in the 1920s to honor actor George Arliss, who was performing locally in a play called Green Goddess.
2 Tbs. roughly chopped fresh chives
2 Tbs. roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbs. roughly chopped fresh tarragon
2 Tbs. roughly chopped fresh basil
1 Tbs. roughly chopped fresh mint
2 or 3 anchovy fillets
1 shallot, roughly chopped
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
Potato chips for serving
Crudités for serving
In a blender or food processor, combine the chives, parsley, tarragon, basil, mint, anchovies, shallot, lemon juice and mayonnaise. Blend or process until smooth, about 1 minute or about 15 pulses.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the sour cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. Serve with potato chips and crudités for dipping. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.
S'MORE BARS
These bar cookies include the same ingredients that are used to make those favorite campfire treats known as s'mores-graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate. It will be hard to wait, but the bars must be chilled for 4 hours before serving.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
6 whole graham crackers
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk (not
evaporated milk)
1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt
1 cup miniature marshmallows
2 whole graham crackers or 1 cup
mini-graham cracker shapes
Before you start
Line an 8-inch square baking pan or dish with aluminum foil so that the foil hangs over the sides. Grease the foil with butter.
Melt the butter
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the 3 tablespoons butter. Using a pot holder, move the pan to a heatproof surface. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Crush the crackers and make the crust
Put the 6 whole graham crackers into a zippered plastic bag. Press out all the air and seal the bag. Using a rolling pin, gently but firmly crush the cookies to make tiny crumbs. You should have 1 cup of crumbs. Add the crumbs to the melted butter and stir with a wooden spoon until blended. Scrape the crumbs into the baking pan.
Press in the crust
Lay a piece of plastic wrap loosely over the crumbs. Place your hand on the plastic wrap and spread the crumbs to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the crumbs are in place, press down firmly to make a solid, even layer. Throw away the plastic wrap when you are finished flattening the crumbs.
Make the chocolate filling
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the condensed milk and chocolate chips. Heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Using a pot holder, move the pan to a heatproof surface. Add the vanilla and salt and stir until blended. Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust and spread evenly with the spoon.
Finish the bars
Scatter the marshmallows evenly over the chocolate filling and press them in gently. If using the 2 whole graham crackers, break them into little pieces. Stick the broken crackers or mini-cracker shapes into the filling among the marshmallows.
Cut the bars
Cover and refrigerate the bars until they are firm, about 4 hours. To serve, lift the foil from the pan and set the s'more square on a cutting board. Peel the foil away from the sides, and cut the square into rectangles with a sharp knife. Keep refrigerated until just before serving. Makes 12 bar cookies.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kids Baking, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Oxmoor House, 2003).
CRANBERRY LIMEADE
Pack and tote beverages in individual spill proof containers that guests can drink from directly. If prepared limeade is not available, use frozen limeade concentrate mixed as directed on the package.
2 quarts prepared limeade
2 cups cranberry juice
2 limes, thinly sliced
Ice cubes for serving
In a large bowl, combine the limeade, cranberry juice and lime slices and stir until blended. Ladle the mixture into eight 1 1/2-cup Mason jars with screw caps. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. To serve, place a few ice cubes and a straw in each jar and pass to each guest. Serves 8.
Serving Tip: If you don't have Mason or jelly jars on hand, transfer the drink to a thermos and refrigerate until ready to transport. Serve over ice in tall glasses.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Easy Entertaining, by George Dolese (Simon & Schuster, 2005).