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Islak burger
Islak burger: Taksim's soft 'wet' burger steamed in garlicky tomato sauce
TurkishIn the windows of the snack bars on Taksim Square, little burgers sit in a steaming glass box, their buns soaked in a garlic and tomato sauce: the ıslak, or 'wet', burger, eaten by the half-dozen at 3 a.m. after a night out on İstiklal. The beef patty is thin and spiced, the bun turns soft and juicy, and the whole thing is gone in four bites. At home a covered pan does the job of the steam box. Chef's tip: use a soft, slightly sweet bun; crusty rolls stay hard and just get soggy at the edges.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the patties
For the sauce
To assemble
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Knead 1 ⅛ lb beef mince with 1 onion, 1 oz dried breadcrumbs, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper for 2 minutes, until sticky. Shape into 8 thin patties a little wider than the buns.
Step 2: Melt 2 ⅛ oz butter in a saucepan over a low heat, add 4 cloves garlic and cook for 1 minute without browning. Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste, ¾ cup tomato passata, ½ cup water and ½ tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper flakes) and simmer for 8 minutes, until it coats a spoon.
9 minStep 3: Cook the patties in a hot dry frying pan over a medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes a side, until browned and cooked through to 160°F in the centre, with no pink.
6 minStep 4: Dip the cut sides of each 8 small soft burger buns in the sauce, put a patty inside and spoon a little more sauce over the top bun.
Step 5: Pack the burgers snugly into a lidded pan or ovenproof dish, cover tightly and leave over the lowest heat (or in a 200°F oven) for 15 minutes to steam, until the buns are soft and glossy. Common mistake: serving straight away; the steaming is what makes them 'wet'.
15 minStep 6: Serve hot, two per person, with pickled green chillies.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 590 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does islak burger take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of dried breadcrumbs?
- Crushed crackers or cornflakes, same amount.
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