Venison and haggis smash burger in a whisky butter, stout steamed brioche
Makes 1 burger
115g venison mince
70g haggis
40g minced pork fat
2 rashers smoked streaky bacon
One or two slices of Emmental
Softened 75g of butter
1 tbsp whisky
Brioche burger buns
Brown sauce
Splash of stout
Steele cloche (a metal saucepan will do)
Best cooked on a scorching hot flat griddle surface.
Mix all the meat together in a bowl, before loosely forming into two 4oz balls and set aside. Mix whisky and butter together. Add more to taste if you love a wee dram!
Butter your brioche generously and griddle for 10/15 seconds, being careful not to burn. Remove and set aside. Dollop brown sauce on the top half of the bun.
Griddle your bacon until crispy but not brittle. Set aside.
Now, it's time to smash those burgers - a broad, flat spatula is best. Place your haggis balls on the cooking surface, leaving ample space between the two. Then press down on each, flattening out. Make sure you oil your implement of choice so it doesn't stick. A good tip is to cut two, 10cm square pieces of greaseproof paper, placing them on top of the meat balls before smashing. Now don't touch them, you want a lovely crust to form. These won't take long to cook - maybe a minute.
If you see pools of moisture forming on top of each patty, it's time to flip. Once flipped, place your bacon on each, top with Emmental cheese and give it a moment to melt together. Still on the griddle, pop one of the patties on top of the other. Grab the stout and cloche or pan, splash a good glug at the base of the burger, cover with cloche and steam your burger for 20 seconds.
Remove smash burger tower and place on bottom half of brioche.
Eat immediately, knocking back a dram of your favourite scotch whisky during the eating.