The burger can be much-maligned but, what with Obama being a bit of fan, especially after the week he’s just had, and the advent of such delights as Young and Foodish’s BurgerMonday (and Tuesday), it seems to me that its joys are being wrested away from chains and restored to chefs. And I am in good company. I decided to write about Mr Gordon’s Thai-inspired lamb burgers today, and over at the Guardian Ms Angela Hartnett has been making something very similar. Lovely on a summer evening, whether cooked outside on the barbecue (yesterday) or indoors in a frying pan (today).

The recipe below is the one I made, adapted from Peter Gordon’s in here, but, if I was you, I’d tweak it. My burgers completely collapsed which is very odd since they contain two binding agents. And I don’t think you need them: Ms Hartnett’s don’t have any and nor did the ones I made back in June. That’s what I’m trying next time because, even in bits, these are really delicious. Apologies for the odd amounts in the ingredients; the original recipe makes ten so I had to remember my fractions…

For two you will need:
Cupboard (or things you may already have)
olive oil, a dash for frying (not necessary if you are cooking them on the barby)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
garlic, 1 clove
1 egg, (you will need about half of one, but see my proviso above)

Shopping list
cornflour, 20g (but again see my proviso above)
red onion, ¼
minced lamb, 300g
lime leaves, 3
small red chilli, either fresh or dried
Thai fish sauce, 1 teaspoon
a little Greek yogurt, pitta breads and fresh coriander (to serve)

How to
1. Beat the egg and then put half of it with the lime leaves and fish sauce into a blender. Blend until the leaves have broken down then sieve to remove any stringy bits (the centre of the leaf is pretty indigestible).
2. Peel and finely chop the onion quarter and the garlic, chop the red chilli and mix with the meat, the egg and lime leaf mixture, the cornflour and a little salt and pepper.
3. Shape the meat mixture into burgers then chill until required (I think the longer the better).
4. When you want to cook them, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and fry over a medium heat until done.
5. Serve with some Greek yogurt, pitta breads and some fresh coriander.