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Here & NowYASSA LAMB BURGERS
Serves 4
Yassa poulet, the national dish of Senegal made of caramelized onions and chicken flavored
with a bit of Dijon mustard and lemon juice, is such a luscious dish. It’s also one that speaks to
the ingenuity of African cooks to combine ingredients from somewhere else (in this case,
France) with the time- honored tradition of stews and sauces that have had ample opportunity
to meld into one beautiful meal. I wanted to make a burger highlighting the jam- like
consistency that onions take on in yassa poulet, so I took the whole concept, stripped it down,
and turned it into a condi-ment similar to chutney. I love this recipe so much because it reminds
me of Sene-galese chef Pierre Thiam, the cooking practices of Ghana, and my favorite aspects
of some of the best burgers I’ve had over the course of my travels. Usually with a burger, the
meat is the star of the show, but here the yassa jam steals the spotlight: it’s savory and tart. I
always encourage people to add whatever they want to their burgers, so create a spread of
toppings along with the aioli, tomatoes, mixed fresh greens or lettuce, and the warmed yassa
onions.
Yassa Onion Jam
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
2 medium white onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons Roasted Garlic Puree (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
Aioli
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Roasted Garlic Puree (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Burgers
1 pound ground lamb (see note)
3 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed and chopped
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
To Serve
4 hamburger buns, bulkie rolls, or potato rolls, split
Lettuce leaves
Thinly sliced tomato
Make the yassa onion jam: In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over
medium- high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft and golden
brown, about 18 minutes.
Add the vinegar, roasted garlic puree, turmeric, Dijon, and coriander. Reduce the heat to low
and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is well combined and becomes a mahogany
color, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, then stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter,
the lemon juice, and salt. Taste and add more salt, if desired. Set aside and keep warm. (The
jam can be made a day or two in advance and warmed before serving.)
Make the aioli: In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, roasted garlic puree, lemon juice, and salt.
Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (for toasting the buns; they can also be warmed in a skillet with a
little butter).
Make the burgers: In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix together the lamb, thyme, rosemary,
garlic powder, salt, and pepper; shape into 4 balls.
Heat a cast- iron skillet or grill pan over medium- high heat until very hot and smoking. Working
in batches as necessary to avoid crowding, add 2 meat balls to the pan at a time. Use a spatula
to smash them into patties 4 inches across and ¼ inch thick. Cook until the edges of the patties
start to crisp up, about 4 minutes, then use the spatula to carefully flip the patties. Cook until
hot and slightly pink in the center, another 5 minutes, or until they reach your desired degree of
doneness. Transfer the burgers to a plate, cover them loosely with foil, and cook the remaining
burgers.
Get ready to serve: While the burgers are cooking, arrange the opened hamburger buns on a
baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Note: This recipe works great with ground beef too.
ROASTED GARLIC PUREE
Makes ½ to ¾ cup
This is a back-pocket puree that you can use in your everyday cooking to quickly add depth of
flavor. I like to freeze my roasted garlic puree in ice cube trays. You can add these flavor cubes
to soups, spaghetti, dips, and whatever else you want to have a sweet, earthy punch of roasted
garlic. In the recipes in this book, the puree is a hack to add depth without lengthy cooking
times, but honestly, I’d be hard- pressed to think of anything that does not taste better with
this added. Roasted garlic puree is king in my kitchen, and I think it will be in yours too.
High-quality extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
6 heads garlic or 1 cup garlic cloves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 or 3 sprigs of rosemary and/or thyme
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
If using garlic heads: Drizzle a 9-inch cast-iron pan or small baking dish generously with olive oil.
Cut the top ½ inch from each of the heads, exposing the cloves inside. Place in the prepared
baking dish, cut sides up, then drizzle each with 1 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Tuck in the rosemary and/or thyme around the garlic. Cover the pan tightly with foil
and roast until the garlic smells fragrant, about 35 minutes. Uncover and roast until
caramelized, 10 to 20 minutes more. Transfer the garlic to a plate to cool and reserve the oil in
the pan.
When cool enough to handle, squeeze the heads to push out the soft roasted garlic into the
bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, using some of the reserved garlic oil if
needed to form a smooth puree.
If using garlic cloves: Place the cloves in a baking dish in an even layer and drizzle with ¼ cup
olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper and stir to combine, then tuck in the sprigs of
rosemary and/or thyme around the cloves. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until the
garlic is sizzling and just beginning to brown on the bottom, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil,
stir, and continue to roast until the garlic is golden and caramelized, 7 to 10 minutes more.
When cool enough to handle, remove the herbs, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic
to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, using some of the reserved garlic oil if
needed to form a smooth puree.
