Sabich smash burgers with amba-tahini fries recipe

Prepare: less than 30 mins
Cook: 10 to 30 mins
Serve: Serves 4
Dietary: Pregnancy-friendly

Sabich is popular Israeli street food sandwich with aubergine, egg and tahini – the flavours are reworked here in smash burgers in burger buns.

By Ben Rebuck

From Celebration Kitchen

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Ingredients

For the aubergine

1 large aubergine, sliced into rounds
oil, for deep frying
salt

For the sumac onions

1 red onion, very finely sliced
½ lemon, juice only
1–1½ tsp sumac
pinch salt

For the loaded fries

oil, for deep frying
500g/1lb 2oz fries (freshly cut or frozen)
salt
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp shop-bought amba sauce
1 tbsp zhug or tatbile sauce
2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

For the burger

300g/10½oz beef mince (20% fat)
75ml/2½fl oz neutral oil, such as vegetable or rapeseed, for frying
cheese slices (optional)
2–3 free-range eggs
2–3 soft burger buns, split
pickled cucumbers, to serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the amba-tahini sauce

4 tbsp tahini
½ lemon, juice only
1 tbsp shop-bought amba sauce
salt

For the tatbile hot sauce

¼ cup olive oil
1 lemon, juice only
2 pickled shipka peppers or pickled jalapeños, very finely chopped
1 green chilli, such as serrano, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
pinch ground cumin
salt

Method

To make the aubergine, lay the aubergine slices on a board and sprinkle generously with salt. Leave for 10–15 minutes, then pat dry.
Fry in hot oil until golden on both sides and soft inside. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
Carefully transfer to drain on kitchen paper and season lightly with salt. Set aside.
To make the sumac onions, mix the onion, lemon juice, sumac and salt in a bowl.
Massage gently and set aside for at least 10 minutes until softened and pink.
To make the fries, cook the fries until deeply golden and crisp. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
Carefully transfer to drain on kitchen paper and season immediately with salt. Set aside.
To make the burgers, divide the beef into loose balls.
Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan or cast iron pan until smoking hot. Add the beef, smash hard and season well with salt and pepper.
Cook the burgers on one side for about 1½ minutes, or until deeply browned.
Flip and add the cheese slices on top of the burgers, if using. Cook for 30–45 seconds, or until browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove from the pan and leave to rest briefly.
Fry the eggs sunny-side up so the yolks stay runny. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.
Toast the cut sides of the buns in the burger fat in the pan until golden. Set aside.
To make the amba-tahini sauce, whisk the tahini, lemon juice and garlic in a jug and season with salt.
Add cold water to the tahini mixture gradually until pale and pourable. Stir through the amba. The taste should be nutty first, mango second.
To make the tatbile hot sauce, mix all of the ingredients in a bowl.
Season with salt. The sauce should be sharp, lemony and spicy, but not thick. Set aside.
To assemble the burger, place the bottoms of the buns on plates. Add the amba-tahini sauce, then the burger, fried aubergine, drizzle of tatbile hot sauce, fried egg and pickled cucumbers. Add the top of the buns.
Serve the smash burgers with the fries and sumac onions.