OPEN-FACE BLUE MOON BURGERS WITH 'SHROOMS

Open-Face Blue Moon Burgers with 'Shrooms image

Categories Bread Sauce Chicken Side Simmer

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

2 pounds ground sirloin
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)
1 shallot, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), plus some for drizzling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, a generous handful
4 thick slices country-style crusty bread
10 fresh basil leaves, about 1/2 cup
1 small bunch arugula, washed and thick stems removed
1 red beefsteak tomato, cut into 4 thick slices
1 yellow beefsteak tomato, cut into 4 thick slices
4 ounces good-quality blue cheese, crumbled

Steps:

In a mixing bowl, combine the ground sirloin, Worcestershire sauce, and chopped shallot. Mix thoroughly. Score the meat with your hand, marking 4 equal portions. Form each portion into a large 1-inch-thick patty. Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the patties liberally with some salt and pepper and then drizzle the patties with a little EVOO and place in the hot skillet. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until the patties are firm to the touch and cooked through.
Preheat the broiler.
While the burgers are cooking, preheat a second large skillet over medium-high heat with the 2 tablespoons of EVOO, twice around the pan, and the butter. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and spread them out in an even layer, resisting the temptation to stir for a few minutes to let the mushrooms start to brown. Once brown, go ahead and stir, continuing to cook for 2 minutes, then add the onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring every now and then, for about 3 minutes, or until the onions start to look tender. Add the chicken stock, bring it up to a bubble, and simmer for about 2 minutes. Add the parsley and stir to combine; taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
While the burgers and the mushrooms are working, toast the bread slices under the broiler until they are golden on both sides.
Coarsely chop the basil and arugula.
Place a piece of toast on each serving plate. Top each piece of toast with 1 slice of red tomato and 1 slice of yellow tomato and season the tomatoes with a little salt and pepper. Sprinkle the tomatoes with the arugula-basil mixture and put a cooked burger on top of that. Add the blue cheese crumbles of the mushrooms, stir to combine, and top each burger with the mushroom-blue mixture. Grab a fork and a knife and dig in.