Provençal Lamb Sliders: “Chef Jonathon Sawyer of Cleveland’s Greenhouse Tavern stacks these Provençal lamb burgers with deliciously assertive ingredients, including Niçoise olives and Époisses, a soft, funky cow-milk cheese from France. If you can’t find Époisses, feel free to substitute Camembert.” – Food and Wine
You may alternatively grill these burgers on a gas or charcoal grill.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2–4 shallots (depending on size, peeled and chopped, about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ½ cup pitted Niçoise olives (coarsely chopped)
- 2 tablespoon minced flat leaf parsley
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 2 teaspoon Herbes de Provençe
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- salt and cracked pepper (as needed for seasoning)
- olive oil (as needed for pan, and buns)
- 6 ounce brioche slider buns (split)
- 2 ounce Époisses cheese (about ¼ cup) at room temperature
Directions
Make the relish: Melt the butter in a small skillet. Once it begins to foam, but not yet color, add the shallots and cook over medium heat, stirring, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the vinegar and olives and parsley; cook, stirring often, until the pan is almost dry, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Make the sliders: In a large bowl, lightly mix the lamb with the herbes de Provençe and paprika; season with salt and pepper. Divide the meat into 6 equal portions about 3 ounces each and form them into 3/4‑inch thick patties. Use your thumb to make a small indentation in the center of each patty. This will ensure that the meat maintains its form as it plumps in cooking. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
Heat a large grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat (see notes). Drizzle and swirl a little oil into the hot pan. Place burgers in the pan, don’t crowd them, work in batches if necessary. Cook the burgers about 3 minutes and then flip them. Continue to cook until done to your liking; about 3 minutes more for medium-rare.
While the burgers are cooking brush the buns on the cut sides with a little olive oil, place them cut side down onto a large heated grill pan, skillet or griddle, rotating as needed, until lightly browned. Remove from heat spread a little of the room temperature cheese on the bun bottoms. Top with cooked burgers, then spread some of the olive relish on each burger; cover with top bun and serve warm.
