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 alsobe 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 smooth2. 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
