Favorite Recipe: Mini Lamb Burgers on Mixed Salad with Fennel

Ingredients

• 1 bulb fennel trimmed or fronds and tops and quartered lengthwise
• 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 large navel orange, zested
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped, plus 1/4 sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 heart romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 head radicchio, chopped
• 1 navel orange, peeled and sectioned or sliced into disks
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat a grill pan over medium high heat. Toss the quartered fennel in 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put fennel on grill and grill on all sides, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from grill and cool. Once cooled, thinly slice and reserve.

Combine lamb, rosemary, orange zest, finely chopped red onion, salt and pepper. Make 12 balls and flatten them into 3 inch meat patties. Grill 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Combine lettuces in a shallow bowl with sliced onion. Add sliced cooled fennel to salad. Scatter the oranges and parsley around the salad. Dress with vinegar, oil, salt and pepper, to your taste. Top portions of salad with 3 mini lamb patties and serve.