As American As . . . Burgers And Fries

Picnic weekend. Sliders and Fries.

A house specialty.

I'm not sure why little burgers are so much better than full size, some days. I think it's the brushing with shallot butter -- James always likes onions on his burger -- and the thin slice of pickle I put in the meat before broiling the mini burgers quickly in the oven. I guess I could do those same flavor additions with big burgers but somehow it's not the same.

I toast the rolls. We use King's Hawaiian dinner rolls. I've thought about making my own but these soft little wonders are just so perfect. The perfect size, the perfect texture, just sweet enough.

While the rolls are toasting I melt butter with chopped shallots until the shallots are just soft. I put a teaspoon of the melted shallots on each roll, along with some mustard and a leaf of crunchy lettuce. The burgers are just beef with salt and pepper and formed into rounds of about 2 inches across.

I add a thin slice of cheese just as the burgers finish broiling (about 5 minutes total) and pop the butter flavored burgers onto the rolls and bring 'em to the table.

Fries? Cook's Illustrated super easy almost magic start heating the oil and the fries at the same time recipe. (For future reference it's 2 1/2 pounds of yukon gold potatoes sliced in 1/4 inch sticks --it won't work with russets or sweet potatoes -- and 6 cups of oil added to a deep pan. I use our pasta pot). Cook over high heat until the oil comes to a boil -- about 5 minutes, continue to cook without stirring for 15 minutes. Stir the potatoes, scraping up any that are sticking and cook for another 5 to ten minutes until the potatoes are crisp. Strain onto brown paper bags and salt before serving. Don't forget to strain and save the oil for next time.)

Oh yeah, those are our home grown potatoes.