MILANESE BURGERS WITH LEMON CREAM ANGEL HAIR FRICO AND LEMON CAPER MAYO

Chicken|Grill|Italian|Pasta

Ingredients

Lemon Cream Angel Hair Frico:

2 tablespoons butter

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon flour

¼ cup Sutter Home Chardonnay

1 cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

¼-pound angel hair pasta, cooked al dente to package directions

½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

Burgers:

1-pound ground veal

1-pound ground chicken

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

½ cup Italian breadcrumbs

1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs

¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

¼ cup white wine

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 pieces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into disks approximately 3” wide x 1” thick

Caper mayo:

1, 2.25-ounce jar capers, drained

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lemon zest

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Buns and salad:

6 bulkie rolls

1 ½ cups baby arugula leaves

Instructions

Make the sauce for the lemon cream angel hair frico. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the garlic. Sauté over medium heat until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the flour and stir to combine and cook for one more minute. Add the wine, heavy cream, salt, and lemon zest. Bring to a low boil and reduce the heat to medium low and let boil lightly until reduced by 1/3, about 5-6 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir the angel hair and parmesan into the sauce cool to room temperature while you prepare the burgers.

When you are ready to cook your burgers, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Divide the lemon cream pasta into 6 parts and form each into a patty shape. Place in the hot pan and cook until browned and crispy, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Set aside and tent with foil to keep warm until ready to serve.

Combine the ground veal, chicken, egg, salt, pepper, parmesan, all of the breadcrumbs, basil, parsley, white wine, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large bowl. Massage all of the ingredients together with your hands until well-combined. Separate this mixture into 6 equal parts. Take each section and form into two equal patties. Place one piece of mozzarella in the center of one of the patties and top with the other patty, sealing the edges to completely encase the mozzarella inside.

Preheat your grill to 400 degrees.

Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the burgers and turn to coat on both sides. Place the patties on the hot grill and cook for about 4 minutes on the first side and 3-4 minutes on the other side until cooked through and the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees. Set aside, cover, and let rest while you make the mayo.

Drain the capers and rough chop. Combine them in a small bowl with the mayo, zest, and lemon juice. Whisk to combine.

Lightly toast your buns on the grill.

To assemble the burgers, spread 1 ½ tablespoons of the caper mayo on the bottom bun and top with one burger. Top the burger with an angel hair frico patty and about ¼ cup of the arugula leaves. Coat the top bun with another tablespoon of the mayo and place on top of the burger. DEVOUR!

This burger was inspired by the classic Italian dish Veal Milanese. The patty is made with a combination of ground veal and chicken is laced with parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, and 2 kinds of bread crumbs. It is stuffed with silky mozzarella that oozes out when you bite into it. The patty is topped with a lemon cream angel hair frico that is fried so the pasta has crispy ‘frico’ texture on the outside but is decadent, creamy, lemony, and soft on the inside. Topped with arugula salad and all encased between a toasted bun slathered on both sides with a tangy lemon caper mayo.