Cheesy turkey patties

When is a patty a burger?

They are really strict about their burgers in North America. First of all, they call them properly ‘hamburger’ and the word refers to the sandwich: the meat, the sauce, the gherkin, the bun. And the shaped and fried/grilled ground meat, predominantly beef, is called a patty.

We are far more relaxed and less orthodox in the UK, perhaps because we’re not as obsessed with that particular food. A ‘burger’ is commonly qualified as ‘beef burger’ because we accept turkey, chicken, halloumi and even fish or lentils into the burger family.

And since we don’t care as much for sandwiching everything into bread, like the Americans do, a naked burger sans bun is also a burger.

Why cheesy turkey patty then?

So having said that, I should have named this recipe ‘cheesy turkey burger’, right?

Aha, but there’s the rub: mine is a completely nonchalant, careless and sloppy construction, not really deserving the ‘burger’ label. The recipe however wholly deserves perusal, attention and execution, since my non-burgers are the juiciest turkey mince products you’ve ever tasted.

How to shape mince without shaping

Turkey mince is usually presented on trays, looking like it was daintily arranged on them when coming out of the mincer.

You can utilise that to your benefit and simply turn the mince out onto a chopping board and divide with a knife into four parts. That’s the patties ready to go into the pan.

Why not squash and shape the mince?

The less you mangle it, the juicier the patty will be. Minced turkey usually turns out dry, and this method prevents it. And seasoning it only in the pan will stop the salt from reacting with mince and turning it mushy like a sausage.

How to fry the patties

Once the pan or a flat griddle is smoking hot, scoop each portion onto a spatula or a burger slice and slide into the pan. Don’t worry if scraggly strands escape: just press the mounds with the spatula to flatten, and only now season with salt and pepper.

After a couple of minutes the underside will be browned so – this is the only vaguely tricky part – slide the spatula under each patty and turn it over.

The cheesy bit

When turned over, pile on the cheese. I know – extra calories but in my view patties like this, especially made from turkey, would be unbelievably sad without cheese.

To get it melty, we need to turn over the patties once again but this time it should be easier since the patties are cooked, and it only needs be for thirty seconds or so. That will allow the cheese to melt, crispen into lacy bits in places and infuse with the fond from the pan: the browned, flavoursome meat bits.

And make sure you scrape the cheese bits when taking the patties off the pan to serve. Alternatively, those are the chef’s perks as I always view them.

How to make crispy capers

Crispy capers are one of the most gorgeous toppings, but I rarely bother because the proper way to make them involves mini-deep frying them in oil. Mini or not, there’s always the smell and the oil disposal quandary.

This is a rough and ready hack. The capers should be rinsed and dried with paper towels.

When the patties are off the pan, keep it on medium heat and add a drop of oil. You can then toss the capers in and push them about the hot pan until they open up a little and crispen in places.

The pan will be harder to wash after the capers, but they are such a delicious topping for the patties, you shouldn’t grumble.

I like to serve these patties naked, with salads or cooked vegetables but no reason why you couldn’t bun them up, like ordinary burgers, with a leaf of lettuce and a gherkin.

More turkey recipes

Pan fried turkey breast steaks coated with crushed pink peppercorns, with an easy anchovy cream sauce. Pink peppercorns and smoked salt season the turkey steaks without the need for a fancy marinade.

Turkey breast fillet steaks with wild chanterelle mushroom creamy sauce, this is an easy-but-impressive dish. Cook these simple turkey escalopes with wild mushroom sauce for the next special occasion!

Turkey schnitzels coated in dukkah breadcrumbs are an exciting and flavoursome version of the old comfort staple: crunchy and crisp, but now also with delightful, fragrant seasoning.

More mince recipes

Crispy pork mince, kidney beans and Romaine lettuce salad with mixed toasted seeds. Caramelised pork crumbs are the best thing since crispy bacon!

Beef, ricotta and oregano meatballs from Ottolenghi are delicate and light, cooked in a richly flavoured tomato and onion sauce.

Thai pork with chilli and basil, pad ka-prao moo, spicy and fragrant, is Thai classic street food and unbelievably easy to make at home. It will be delicious even if you don’t find holy basil this dish is named after – and it’s not the same as Thai basil!