Spike Mendelsohn's Michelle Melt
Burger Debut on GMA
Spike Mendelsohn was 13 years old when he had his first real experience in the kitchen, putting his feet to the fire by filling in for a missing sauté cook at the height of the evening rush in his parents' busy restaurant. Born in Montreal and trained in classic French cuisine in restaurants around the world, Spike has opened a new restaurant, Good Stuff Eatery, featuring his own personal weaknesses -- handmade hamburgers, handcut fries and handspun milkshakes in an environmentally friendly atmosphere.
Spike was also a competitor in Season 4 of "Top Chef" where he made it to the final five.
"Michelle's Melt features free range turkey meat made with fruits and fresh herbs, topped with locally grown vegetables and a homemade mayo that features herbs that are highlighted in the Southlawn White House garden. Feeling happy and content with what we eat is the key factor in promoting good health," Spike said.
Ingredients
Cooking Directions
For burger:
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, scallions, and apples. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Add the chipotles and 1/2 tablespoon of adobo sauce from the can and the chutney to a blender. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.
Add the celery mixture and stir until well combined.
Add the turkey, lemon zest, lemon juice, chives, parsley, salt, and pepper and stir until well combined.
To make the patties, roll six 5-ounce turkey balls and form each ball into a patty. Arrange on a tray, cover, and refrigerate.
Butter bread on both sides. Lay on flat top for 1 minute on each side. Set aside.
To make caramelized onions, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions -- don't worry if they're piled high; they will cook down. Turn with a spatula so all the onions are evenly coated in oil. Continue to cook, turn the onions every 8 minutes, until the slices have turned a dark, rich brown color, about 25 minutes. If the onions begin to burn, reduce the heat to medium-low and add more oil. Remove the onions and place them in a bowl.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough just oil to cover the entire bottom. After 2 minutes, reduce the heat to medium and place the patties into the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Flip, and cook on the other side for 1 minute.
Place 1 slice cheese on each patty and continue cooking 2 minutes more for medium-rare. Cover with a lid for the last 30 seconds to melt the cheese.
To assemble the burgers, place 1 patty on a toasted bun bottom. Top the patty with a tablespoon of caramelized onions, 1 lettuce leaf, 1 tomato slice, 1 onion slice, and a spoonful of the Southlawn Herb Garden Mayo. Cover with the bun top.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Wrap the sandwiches in wax paper. Place burger in the middle of wax paper. Pull one corner over then pull in right side corner and left side corner. Finish by pulling the remaining corner over top.
Let rest 2 to 3 minutes and serve.
For mayonnaise:
Add the eggs, mustard, vinegar, and salt to a food processor blender or blender food processor. Process for 30 seconds in the food processor or 10 seconds in the blender. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil slowly at first, then after a few seconds add the oil in a thin, steady stream until all the oil is added and the mixture is smooth. Stop the motor and taste. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a little hot water. If too thin, process a little longer. The mayonnaise can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Add lemon, thyme, salt and pepper.
