Crispy Mushroom & Halloumi Burgers
If you’ve ever been personally victimised by a bad veg burger, this one’s for you.
No sad boiled mushroom. No stale bun. No dry disappointment pretending to be dinner.
These crispy mushroom patties are roasted first for deep savoury flavour, then crumbed and fried until golden and crunchy — almost like fried chicken. Add salty grilled halloumi, sharp pickled onion, peppery rocket and a hot honey mayo, and you’ve got the kind of veg burger pubs should be serving.
Serves 2
Ingredients
Burgers
500g mixed mushrooms, washed and sliced
2 brioche buns
200g halloumi, sliced
Rocket leaves
Olive oil
Fresh thyme leaves
Pickled Onion
1 red onion, sliced into rings
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper
Hot Honey Mayo
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp hot honey or chilli honey
Mushroom Patties
Roasted mushrooms
1 egg
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
Panko breadcrumbs
Cornflour
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Place the mushrooms on a tray with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes until softened and slightly caramelised. Allow to cool.
Meanwhile, place the red onion in a bowl with the lime juice, salt and pepper. Toss well and set aside to lightly pickle.
Roughly chop or pulse the cooled mushrooms in a food processor. Mix with the egg, walnuts, a handful of panko breadcrumbs and enough cornflour to help bind the mixture together.
Chill the mixture in the fridge for 1 hour (or the freezer for 20–30 minutes if short on time).
Shape into 2 patties. Coat each patty in a thin flour-and-water slurry, then press into panko breadcrumbs until fully coated.
Deep fry at 170°C for 2–3 minutes, or until deeply golden and crisp.
While the patties cook, grill the halloumi in a little olive oil over medium heat until golden on both sides.
Mix the mayo with the hot honey.
Toast the brioche buns, then assemble with hot honey mayo, rocket, crispy mushroom patty, grilled halloumi and pickled onion.
Serve hot with chips.
