Cheese Burgers

Method

1. 1/8 tsp salt and pepper PER burger
2. 2 - 3 tbsp canola oil
3. Everything else you need:
4. 4 soft burger buns
5. 4 slices burger cheese slices
6. 4 romaine lettuce leaves, torn to size (or shredded iceberg)
7. 2 medium/1 big tomato(es), each cut into 6-8 thin round slices
8. 1 red onion, finely sliced into rings
9. 2 large gherkins, finely sliced
10. Sauce options:
11. ketchup
12. mustard
13. On the side:
14. 3 large potatoes for making French fries or frozen fries (ready-to-fry)

Instructions

1. Stove:
2. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk until almost dried up.
3. Add the soaked breadcrumbs into the mixing bowl with minced meat. Season with salt and pepper and/or some mixed herbs if preferred. Mix well with a gloved hand.
4. Divide equally into 4 parts. Make patties the same size as the burger buns. Flatten them using your gloved hand.
5. Preheat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over high heat until very hot - smoking hot!
6. Cook 2 to 4 patties (whatever fits in the pan) for 1½ minutes. Press down lightly with a spatula (not too hard else the meat juices squeeze out!). Flip, then immediately top with a slice of cheese. Cook for another 1½ minutes (cheese will melt by itself!) then transfer burgers to a tray to rest for 3 minutes.
7. Assemble:
8. Slather the base of the bun with your sauce of choice. The order of assembly: lettuce, tomato slices, burger, gherkins, onion, sauce on bun lid, then place it on top of the stack.
9. Serve with French fries on the side.
10. Fries:
11. Leaving the skin on, cut the potatoes into long thin strips and put in a large bowl of clean water to remove some starch, prevent them from sticking together, and stop the oxidizing process.
12. In a fryer, heat the oil until it reaches 275 to 300 degrees F. Remove the potatoes from the water and pat dry. Working in small batches, fry the potatoes until they go from shiny to matte, 3 to 5 minutes (this is also called blanching). Drain well on paper towels. Re-heat the oil until it reaches 350 degrees F and fry the potatoes again, also in small batches, until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. Season with salt.