Watch Bradley Bennett of Pacific Pickle Works show you how to make a Fenn Shui Burger using PPW's pickled fennel root as an alternative to onion in this delicious recipe.
Start with as high quality ground beef as you can find or are willing to spend the money on. In this video we used Wagyu beef which was delicious. In our ground beef mixture we added a little diced onion, salt & pepper, and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Combine all of this together with your hands.
Form your burger patties into patties slightly larger in diameter than your buns. The burgers will shrink a little on the grill. Keep them nice and thick as well so that they retain their juices in the center and so they don't overcook too quickly. Grill the patties on your grill for about 4 minutes on each side depending on the heat of your grill. Try to turn them only once. Less moving them around will keep the burger patties juicier.
If you are making the Japanese Sweet Potato Fries, you need to do this now so that they can cool down a bit while cooking your burger. See recipe below.
While the burgers are cooking you can be prepping your other ingredients. First of all, you should have your buns ready to place on the grill for the final minute of cooking just to toast them a bit. Also, if you want your cheese melted on the burger patty, get this ready now. Prep your arugula by cutting off any excessively long stemmy bits then toss them in a bowl with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. This is important so that your arugula holds the seasoning and doesn't taste dry. And also have your Fenn Shui ready. You might need to cut a few of the pieces down if they are too large.
Once the patties are grilled and buns toasted you are ready to assemble your burger! Take your buttom toasted bun and spread a nice thick layer of may on it. This is an important step (don't just trust me, trust Alton Brown!). Put a little fresh cracked pepper and salt on this mayo then place your patty on top of it while still hot. The juices from the patty will mix with the mayo and salt and pepper to make a nice sauce on the bun.
Top the burger patty with a small handful of the dressed arugula. Then finally place some pieces of the Pacific Pickle Works Fenn Shui (pickled fennel root) on the top. Place your top bun and get ready to eat it while it is still warm.
Enjoy!
Peel your sweet potatoes, then cut lengthwise into nice thick shaped strips or wedges.
Heat peanut oil in a pot. Use a pot with high enough walls so that the splattering doesn't go everywhere. Heat about 2" of the peanut oil until a drop of water flicked on the surface sizzle and dances before vaporizing. Add your sweet potatoes. Add enough to fill the open spaces, but don't layer them. We need oil on all surfaces to cook them evenly and to not stick to each other. Fry until a deep golden or even medium brown. Make sure they are well cooked and a little crispy.
Using tongs, remove from the pot and place on a plate covered with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Sprinkle with some coarse kosher or sea salt while still oily so that the salt sticks to the fries. Let cool.
For the Sriracha mayo, simple place a few tablespoons of mayo in a small bowl and squirt a healthy squeeze of Sriracha sauce on top. Mix together with a fork. Adjust with more mayo or sauce to your desired level of flavor and spice.
Enjoy!
