Stephanie Izard’s Blended Burger

1. For burgers: Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Toss shiitake mushrooms in oil and season with salt. Roast shiitakes for 12 to 15 minutes, until tender. Cool completely; pulse in food processor until finely minced.
3. In stand mixer with paddle attachment or by hand, blend meat, minced mushrooms and salt to a homogenous mixture. Form into 4 equal-sized burger patties. Rest in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
4. For asparagus tapenade: Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add a small splash of oil to the pan and saute asparagus until just tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and allow to cool. Once cooled, mix with nicoise olives, fresh mint and lemon. Refrigerate until ready to use.
5. For brown butter miso aioli: Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread miso on sheet pan; brown in oven for 4 minutes. Stir and cook for another 3 minutes until medium caramel color. Remove from oven and cool completely.
6. Blend toasted miso, brown butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and fold in sour cream. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
7. For rhubarb mostarda: In small saucepan, bring vinegar and sugar to a boil. Whisk to dissolve sugar. While hot, pour 1 tablespoon over mustard seeds. Set aside remaining vinegar and allow to cool to room temperature. Pour cooled vinegar mixture over rhubarb and allow to stand for 2 hours.
8. Strain mixture and rough chop 1 cup pickled rhubarb. Mix chopped rhubarb with pickled mustard seeds and Dijon mustard. Remaining pickled rhubarb can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.
9. Build burgers: Sear or grill burgers on flattop or grill to desired doneness. Toss arugula in olive oil with a small pinch of salt; set aside. For each burger, spread bottom bun with 2 tablespoons brown butter miso aioli and top with a ½ cup asparagus tapenade. Top with cooked burger patty and dressed arugula. Spread top bun with rhubarb mostarda.

Photo courtesy of The Mushroom Council