Lamb Pitta Burgers

I love making these lamb burgers during barbecue season, they make a delicious change to the ever popular beef.  I like to make them in an oval shape to fit neatly into a pitta bread...then add some lettuce, chopped spring onion and mayonnaise...yum! 

If you are short of time you could just soften the onion with the rosemary, however slowly sizzling it until caramelised adds a wonderful sweet/savoury dimension to the juicy burgers.  This burger mixture can be made in advance to save time, in fact it allows the flavours to develop more. 
 

Makes 4 large oval burgers or more smaller ones!

Ingredients

1 Red Onion, thinly sliced

Butter

1 teaspoon Light Brown Sugar

Salt and Black Pepper

Sprig of Fresh Rosemary (approx. 20 needles), finely chopped

500g Minced Lamb

Handful of Fresh Mint Leaves (approx. 10 large leaves, more if small), chopped

2 Cloves of Garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1 medium Egg, beaten

• To prepare the onion, melt a generous knob of butter into a pan and tip in the finely sliced onion.  Season with salt and the brown sugar then stir to combine and put on the lowest hob setting you have.  It will need to sizzle slowly for up to 45 minutes, being stirred occasionally, until soft, gooey and sweet.  About halfway through the cooking time add the finely chopped rosemary so that it softens with the onion.  When done, transfer to a bowl to cool.
• Tip the lamb mince into a large bowl and break up with a fork.  Add the minced garlic, chopped mint and a generous seasoning of salt and black pepper, mix thoroughly.  Add the egg, mustard and the cool onion and mix thoroughly again, it will seem a bit sloppy at first but come together as you mix it and incorporate all the egg.  This can now be covered and refrigerated until needed.
• When you are ready to cook, shape the mixture into just smaller than pita sized ovals or round burgers if you want to put them in buns.  
• Cook on a hot barbecue, griddle pan or frying pan for about 5 minutes per side or until chargrilled and juicy looking.  I think these are best not pink but definitely still moist in the middle, if you like your meat well done, cook it for longer but maybe on more of a medium heat.  They also benefit from a few minutes resting before serving.
• Serve wedged inside toasted pitta bread with any extras you feel are appropriate...enjoy!