Don't underestimate the Glutamate!
I've posted before about burgers from Lukas Volger's Veggie Burgers Every Which Way. I kind of OD'd on falafel burgers, so I'm giving them a rest for now. Will definitely go back to them, though--they're just so tasty.
My latest foray into the veggie burger world was Black Bean Burgers. When I followed the recipe exactly I found it to be a bit bland in both taste and texture. I wasn't looking for the spiciness of a falafel burger, but instead craved a patty with quiet, simple flavors that give the hearty satisfaction of a good beef burger.
What his bean mixture needed was a good dose of glutamates--glutamic acid naturally occurs in a wide variety of foods and provides what is called "umami"--the "fifth taste" beyond sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Google umami and you'll see a ton of articles explaining what it is. Basically umami is "savory." Add ingredients naturally rich in glutamates--such as tomatoes, mushrooms, anchovies--and whatever you're cooking suddenly becomes much richer, all without the addition of many calories (it only takes a teeny squirt of anchovy paste to make a stew sing). Some glutamate-rich foods are caloric, such as roquefort cheese, but let's be honest--how much roquefort should you put in a recipe? --very little, otherwise it just takes over your dish. A little dab'll do ya.
So this is Lukas Volger's easy-peasy recipe for Easy Bean Burgers, umami'd up and tweaked even easier-peasier by yours truly. He fries, then bakes his, which I found dried out the exterior and left the interior a little mushy. My version cooks faster with better mouth feel.
1 1/2 cups cooked beans (any medium to large starchy beans, such as black or red beans, chickpeas, cranberry beans, or pintos. I used a 15-oz can of unsalted black beans, drained)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (an umami-delivery ingredient)
2 tsp Dijon mustard (umami)
2 handfuls crimini mushrooms, chopped small, sauteed in olive oil (deglaze pan with a little red wine or stout to add even more umami)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup toasted bread crumbs (I used panko)
In a mixing bowl, mash the beans using a potato masher or fork. Fold in the eggs, parsley, Parmesan, mustard, mushrooms, oregano, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Fold in the bread crumbs, adding more if the mixture is too loose. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to let the crumbs soak up moisture. Shape into 5 patties.
Set the patties on a microwave-safe plate and cook on high for 4 minutes. (At this point, you can set aside those you don't plan to eat right away. Refrigerate or freeze, thawing before the final saute.)
Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or griddle and fry the patties for 2-3 minutes on each side to give a nice finished texture.
I would post a photo of my burger accomplishments, except that I ate it all.
