Before I talk about this recipe, let me make one thing clear. Although my primary role is an at-home mom, I do not sit at home and eat bon-bons and watch daytime TV all day long. In fact, my TV is rarely on during the day, because I've got lots to get done and I don't need the distraction. I think Oprah is a wonderful person, but I almost never watch her show.A friend mentioned that Oprah had raved about a turkey burger on her show, saying the turkey burger at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort was the best she had tasted. So when my husband had a hankering for burgers, I hunted for the recipe, and found it here.
When I read the recipe, here's the first thing that struck me: it called for four pounds of turkey breast for eight burgers! That's a half pound of turkey a burger! Are you freaking kidding me? I have a good appetite but a half pound of ground turkey -- in addition to all the other stuff in the burger -- would make me feel like I had swallowed a boulder. I scaled the recipe down to one pound of ground turkey, and also scaled down the serving size to make three generous patties from a pound of ground turkey. I was wary about buying the pricey ground turkey breast the recipe called for, because I thought it might make the burger dry, but I shelled out the $4.99 for the turkey breast. The original recipe called for Tabasco Chipotle pepper sauce, which I didn't have on hand. Instead, I used the original Tabasco and added a drop of liquid smoke to get the smokiness of the Chipotle sauce. The recipe called for the ground turkey mixture to be refrigerated for two hours, but I didn't have the time.
In the end, the patty was, in fact, one of the best ground turkey patties I've tasted. It was moister and more flavorful than other turkey burgers, and not in the weird way I had expected from the apples. I had one for dinner, and the other two are in the freezer for another meal. I didn't read to the end of the recipe, so I didn't see that the burger should be served with Mar-A-Lago pear chutney until after I had gone grocery shopping. I'll have to try it with the burgers next time.Turkey Burgers
Adapted from the Turkey Burger at Mar-a-Lago
Makes 3 burgers
1 thinly sliced scallion
2 Tablespoons finely chopped celery
3/4 of a Granny Smith apple , peeled and diced
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce plus one drop of liquid smoke (or Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce)
1/3 of a lemon, juiced, plus the grated zest
Several sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Major Grey's Chutney, pureed (I pureed extra to use as a topping)
Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool.
Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into three burgers. (Refrigerate for 2 hours, if you have time.)
Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 5-7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.
(The original recipe says to serve it with a side of Mar-a-Lago Pear Chutney and your favorite toasted bread, pita or hamburger roll.)
Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into three burgers. (Refrigerate for 2 hours, if you have time.)
Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 5-7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.
(The original recipe says to serve it with a side of Mar-a-Lago Pear Chutney and your favorite toasted bread, pita or hamburger roll.)