Lamb-feta burgers with yogurt sauce

These lamb-feta burgers are my first foray into the world of Armenian cooking.

While I’ve met a few Armenians over the years, and seen an unlikely number of Armenian films, thanks to Armenian-Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan, I’m pretty sure I’ve never eaten an Armenian meal.

These lamb-feta burgers were such a hit, we’ll definitely be eating them again.

I served them on a bed of itch (Armenian bulghur salad), with a spoonful of garlicky yogurt on top.

The lamb-feta burger recipe is adapted from one on The Armenian Kitchen website.

Lamb-feta burgers with yogurt sauce
(makes 4 burgers)

For the burgers:

• 500g ground lamb
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 garlic, crushed
• 2 Tb flatleaf parsley, chopped
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce (I used sriracha)
• 2 Tb breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• salt and pepper
• sunflower oil

For the yogurt sauce:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• salt, to taste

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the lamb, shallot, garlic, parsley, egg yolk, pepper sauce, breadcrumbs, feta and coriander. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Mix everything together, using your hands, then form into four thick burgers.
3. Chill the burgers for at least half an hour.
4. Oil the burgers, then cook on a barbeque or grill pan over a medium-high flame.
5. While the burgers are cooking, whisk together the yogurt, garlic and salt.
6. Serve the burgers with a spoonful of yogurt sauce on top.

Tags: feta, lamb, yogurt