America's Greatest Gourmet Burger

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Bois Boudran Sauce:

1 tablespoon/15 ml sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons/40 ml olive oil
1 tablespoon/15 g Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon/15 ml Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup/140 g ketchup
2 teaspoons/about 3 g finely chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons/about 3 g finely chopped fresh tarragon

For the Burgers:

2 tablespoons/30 ml olive oil
2 shallots, finely diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/4 pounds/600 g freshly ground chuck beef (preferably prime grade)
2 tablespoons/5 g finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 teaspoons/10 g Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon/5 g Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon/2.5 g salt
1/4 teaspoon/1.3 g freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten to blend
6 bacon slices
4 brioche hamburger buns, split in half
Four 1-ounce/30-g slices Gruyere cheese
Four 1-ounce/30-g slices foie gras, frozen
1 small black truffle

Method:

To make the Bois Boudran Sauce:

Place the vinegar in a large bowl. Gradually add the oil, whisking constantly until well blended. Whisk in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk in the ketchup. Stir in the chives and tarragon. Set the sauce aside.

To prepare the Burgers:

Heat 1 tablespoon/15 ml of oil in a heavy small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté for 3 minutes or until soft. Stir in the garlic. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Gently mix the ground beef, parsley, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, sautéed shallots and garlic in a large bowl until well blended. Mix in the egg.

Divide the beef mixture into 4 equal mounds and shape each mound into a 4-inch/10-cm diameter patty. Set the patties aside. Lay the bacon strips in a heavy large frying pan and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Remove from the heat and set the bacon aside. Let rest for 1 minute. Transfer the cooked bacon to paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Break the bacon strips in half. Broil the brioche buns cut side up for 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly toasted.

Meanwhile, heat a heavy large nonstick griddle pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the pan with 1 tablespoon/15 ml of olive oil and cook the beef patties for 2 to 3 minutes or until brown on the bottom.

Turn the patties over. Top the patties with the Gruyere cheese and cook for about 3 minutes longer or until the patties are cooked to medium-rare doneness.

Set the patties on the bun bottoms. Place the crispy bacon on top of the patties. Heat a heavy large nonstick sauté pan over high heat until it begins to smoke.

Add the foie gras and cook for 25 seconds on each side or just until the foie gras is brown on the outside but still soft in the center (you will need the fan on full force for this as the foie gras will release a lot of fat that will begin to smoke).

Place the foie gras on top of the bacon on the patties. Shave the truffle very thinly over the foie gras (you may not need the entire truffle). Cover with the bun tops. Serve with the Bois Boudran sauce and enjoy!

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Cherry Consommé

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Vanilla Panna Cotta:

2/3 cup/145 ml whole milk
1 tablespoon/10 g unflavored gelatin powder
2 1/4 cups/590 ml heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup/50 g sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

For the Cherry Consommé:

1 cup/225 ml water
1/4 cup/55 ml fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons/40 g sugar
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
1 pound/450 g fresh red cherries, halved, pitted

Method:

To make the Vanilla Panna Cotta:

Place the milk in a heavy small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the gelatin to soften. Place the cream and sugar in a medium saucepan. Gently scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the cream. Whisk to blend.

Place a small saucepan over a medium-low heat and heat the cream mixture, stirring often, for about 8 minutes or until the cream is hot and the sugar dissolves (do not allow the cream to boil). Heat the milk mixture over medium-low heat and stir for about 5 minutes or until the gelatin dissolves (do not allow the milk to boil).

Once the gelatin has dissolved, stir the milk mixture into in the hot cream mixture and remove from the heat. Discard the vanilla bean. Pour the cream mixture into four 6-ounce/170-ml ramekins or custard cups. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or until the panna cotta has set.

To make the Cherry Consommé:

Stir the water, lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon in a medium saucepan over high heat for about 5 minutes or until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a rapid boil. Add three-fourths of the cherries and remove from the heat.

Set aside for 20 minutes or until the mixture is cool. Discard the cinnamon stick, if using. Transfer the mixture to a food processor. Pulse for 15 seconds or until the cherries are finely chopped.

Strain the cherry mixture through a fine sieve and into a bowl. Discard the solids. Cover and refrigerate the consommé until it is cold.

To serve:

Remove the panna cotta from the refrigerator and dip the ramekins into a little hot water for a couple of seconds to loosen the panna cotta. Run a small sharp knife around the sides of the panna cotta to help loosen them, if necessary.

Invert the panna cotta onto plates allowing the panna cotta to slip out easily onto the plates. Arrange the remaining fresh cherries around the panna cotta. Drizzle the cherry consommé around the panna cotta and serve.