BUFFALO BURGERS WITH MOZZARELLA WITH TOMATO, BASIL AND BUFFALO MOZZARELLA SALAD

Ingredients
1 kg buffalo minced meat
1 small red onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
2 cloves garlic finely sliced
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
Few drops of tabasco
Salt & pepperolive oil
250 g buffalo mozzarella cut into slices
8 soft bread rolls, halved
Few sprigs of thyme leaves picked
Ketchup to serve
Buffalo mozzarella salad
2 ripe beef tomatoes
2x 250 gram balls of buffalo mozzarella
1 red onion
Generous drizzle of olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Lemon juice
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Small bunch of basil leaves roughly chopped
Method
Mix the buffalo mince, onion, mustard, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco together and season well. Shape the mixture into 6-8 burgers. Chill the burgers for about 30 minutes to firm up.
When you’re ready to start cooking, brush the burgers with a little oil then place them on the grill of a hot barbecue. Cook them for 7-10 minutes, turning them halfway. Towards the end of cooking, place a slice of buffalo mozzarella on top of each burger. Cover the burgers with a stainless steel bowl – this will encourage the cheese to melt down nicely.
In the meantime, drizzle the cut side of the bread rolls with a little olive oil and sprinkle with thyme. Toast the burgers cut side down on the barbecue until lightly golden. When you are ready to serve, sandwich the burger between the bread with a dollop of ketchup, if using.
Buffalo mozzarella salad:
For the salad, thickly slice the tomatoes and mozzarella and cut the onion into rings. Arrange them attractively in a shallow dish. Drizzle the salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar then squeeze a little lemon juice over. Season the salad to taste then scatter with the chopped basil