As part of the Rowett Institute's Royal Highland Show 2023 stand, we collaborated with chef and food stylist Bethany Ferguson to create a meal that incorporated some area's of the Rowett's research. Looking at all aspects of our grains and novel crops work, Bethany produced a meal incorporating some of our Against The Grain Book recipes with a few tweaks and used our brand-new burger recipe developed by Jackie Duncan.
For the show, we separated the elements and gave out samples in cupcake cases but these are best enjoyed as large burgers with a pile of salad and a helping of humous. Please enjoy the recipe:
Middle Eastern Hemp Burger with Spiced Barley Flatbread, Sun dried Tomato Fava Bean Hummus and Microgreen Olive & Feta Salad
Makes seven 130g portion burgers
For the burgers:
• 500g 15% fat beef mince
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 160g hemp flour
• 240g beaten egg
• ½ tbsp ras el hanout
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
1. Heat 1 tsp olive oil over a medium heat and lightly fry the chopped onion for 7-8 minutes until soft and golden. Leave to cool slightly.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to a large bowl with the cooled onions and mix well with your hands. Shape the mince into 130g sized burger patties and set aside until ready to cook.
3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick frying pan or griddle pan over a medium heat. Fry the burger patties on each side for 3 minutes until caramelised and slightly charred. (They can also
be grilled on the bbq for a smokier flavour).
For the sundried tomato and fava bean hummus:
• 200g tinned fava beans, drained
• 80g sundried tomatoes, drained weight
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tbsps lemon juice
• 1 tbsp oil from the sundried tomatoes
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Pinch of salt and pepper
1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blitz together until smooth
2. Season to taste.
For the spiced barley flat breads:
• 150g barley flour
• 150g self-raising flour
• 250g full-fat natural yoghurt
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp coriander seeds
• ½ tsp nigella seeds
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
1. Gently fry the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over a low heat for 5 minutes. Once they smell fragrant, crush in a pestle and mortar and add to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and use a cutlery knife to bring the dough mixture together. Use one hand to bring the dough together in the bowl before tipping it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2-3 minutes until the dough is smooth, it will feel slightly sticky. Return to the bowl and cover with a plate or clean tea towel for 10-15 minutes.
3. Once the dough has rested, tear off 80g portions and roll into circles roughly 13cm wide so they are large enough to fit the burgers.
4. Heat a nonstick frying pan over a high heat and fry each flatbread in the dry pan for 1-2 minutes on each side until puffed up and slightly charred on the outside. Repeat with the rest of the flatbreads, wrapping them in foil and keeping them warm in a low oven until ready to serve.
For the microgreen olive and feta salad:
• 80g of pea shoots
• 1 punnet of cress
• 60g alfafa sprouts
• 3 tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped
• 100g feta cheese, crumbled
• 75g kalamata olives, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp hemp oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp of lemon juice
• Salt & pepper
1. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss together. Season to taste.
Contact us with your feedback by emailing rowett.enquiries@abdn.ac.uk, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
To find out more about Bethany Ferguson visit her website or find her on Instagram
