Scotch Lamb Burgers with Mint Sauce and Deep Fried Tattie Wedges

Beautiful, succulent and tasty lamb burgers

When you buy a burger from a fast food outlet, it is likely it will have been made with beef, pork, or a combination of the two - as well as a number of potentially very unsavoury ingredients which you would probably prefer not to hear or think about... Even when burgers are prepared at home, beef or pork are the preferred meats usually used. If you're looking for an alternative for your burgers, you can't do better than use lamb. The prepared burgers are so tender and sucuulent, you may actually never consider using beef or pork again.

Chopping potatoes in to wedges

Ingredients

2 or 3 medium floury/starchy potatoes
1/2 pound minced/ground lamb
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Vegetable oil for frying
2 soft bread rolls
1 tablespoon (approximately) mint sauce

Potato wedges are steeped in cold water

Directions

The potato wedges are prepared in three stages. Begin by halving each potato and chopping it in to wedges. Note that the potatoes should not be peeled. Add to a pot of cold water and leave to steep for ten minutes to get rid of the excess starch.

Parboiled potato wedges ready for chilling

Add the potato wedges to a pot of fresh cold water and season with salt. Bring to a simmer for five minutes only before draining and leaving to steam off for five minutes. Don't worry if a couple of the wedges break slightly near the tips - this makes for extra crunchiness in the final result! Add the wedges to a plastic dish in a single layer and refrigerate uncovered for a minimum half hour.

Potato wedges are given first deep fry

Take the wedges from the fridge and deep fry in medium hot oil for five minutes until they just start to colour and no more. Drain on kitchen paper and return to the (dried) plastic dish and the fridge for a further minimum half hour.

Minced lamb and rosemary

Put the lamb in to a bowl and season with the rosemary as well as some salt and pepper. Mix very well by hand before dividing in to two equal amounts and rolling in to balls between your palms.

Seasoned lamb is rolled in to balls

Heat some vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan. A couple of tablespoons should be enough.

Starting to fry Scotch lamb burgers

Flatten the meatballs between your palms in to burger patties around an inch thick and fry for eight to ten minutes each side over a low to medium heat until done.

Lamb burgers turned to fry on their second side

Push the frying pan to a cool part of the stove-top and allow the burgers to rest while you give the potato wedges a final fry of four or five minutes.

Potato wedges are fried for a second time

Drain the potato wedges on kitchen paper and cut open the rolls. Lay a burger on each bottom roll half on the serving plate.

Lamb burgers laid on bottom halves of rolls

Divide the mint sauce between the tops of the two burgers.

Mint sauce is added to lamb burgers

Put the tops on the rolls and add the potato wedges to the other side of the plate.

Potato wedges are plated with Scotch lamb burgers