Food
Burger trends: the hottest burgers for 2017
by Nicky Clarke
Posh burgers are everywhere. Bun boffin Nicky Clarke gives the lowdown on what’s hot and what’s not this summer…
Going up...
Sunday roast burger
Sunday lunch-themed burgers are on the rise. Roast restaurant in London’s Borough Market recently launched one with pink beef, ale and mustard cheddar, red cabbage and horseradish cream. In Nottingham, Annie’s Burger Shack serves a burger with roast chicken, Yorkshire pud and all the trimmings.
Bao burger
Asian-style steamed buns, known as bao, have sky-rocketed in popularity. And now there’s a funky hybrid, the bao burger, combining the best of both Eastern and Western worlds. Pho & Bun in London does a fine line in them – everything from 28-day dry-aged beef to crispy tiger prawns between soft, pillowy bread.
Crab burger
Burgers used to mean beef, but this summer, soft-shell crab burgers are taking over. The one at Crab Tavern in Broadgate Circle, London, is delicious: crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside, packed in a soft fluffy bun. In Preston, the tempura ‘krabby’ patty with sriracha mayo and wasabi pumpkin seeds at Solita is well worth swimming north for.
Ramping up the Reuben
Is there anything tastier than a Reuben sandwich? Apparently so, as our love for the classic American dish – salt beef, sauerkraut, and mountains of Swiss cheese – is about to turn into obsession. Introducing the Reuben burger: the same filling, only this time wedged between bun rather than rye bread. The Foundry 39 in Edinburgh tops a beef patty with all the Reuben regulars, plus Tabasco mayonnaise.
No to avo
Last year, Joe’s Southern Table & Bar in Covent Garden put a burger on the menu served not in a bun, but sandwiched between two halves of an avocado. Now countless places are following suit. We think anyone who wants to swap a fluffy bun for slimy avocado needs to take a good long look at themself. Then throw that avocado in the bin.
Black hole
There was a period when ‘black buns’ – ordinary bread rolls, but dyed black with charcoal or squid ink – threatened to have a moment. Even KFC briefly offered a ‘Black Bun Zinger’ in Australia. Thankfully, that moment (of madness) is over.
Bad bread
Sad white buns just don’t cut it any more. Many top chefs swear by brioche rolls – the soft sweetness contrasts with the salty, juicy burger within. Recently, we’ve also spotted a trend for buns made from potatoes. Watch this space…
Four things you never knew about burgers
‘Hamburger’ derives from – and is an abbreviation of – the Hamburg steaks introduced to the US by German immigrants in the 19th century.
London’s Honk Tonk restaurant claimed to have created the world’s most expensive burger – the ‘Glamburger’ – costing £1,100 (www.honkytonklondon.com). Indulgent ingredients included Kobe wagyu beef, New Zealand venison, Canadian lobster and a duck egg covered in gold leaf.
The largest burger ever made came in at 913.54kg courtesy of Black Bear Casino Resort in Carlton, USA. That was in 2012 and it remains unbeaten.
US company Beyond Meat has created what it claims is ‘the world’s first plant-based burger, that looks, cooks and tastes like fresh ground beef’. It’s now sold in select shops in the USA.
