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