Have Ice Chest, Will Travel

When we went home two weeks ago we drove and driving home has one huge advantage - I can bring as much of New Orleans back to DC as I can fit in my mid-sized Acura. During the trip I collected several frozen New Orleans ingredients and packed them in an ice chest to take back to my kitchen. I was determined that for the next several months I would not have to reject a single recipe that interested because I didn't have the proper ingredients. I am proud to say that although I can find Andouille Sausage in DC, my next few recipes with Andouille will use 100% authentic Andouille Sausage from the "Andouille Capital of the World" secured for me by my mother in law. There is nothing like it and the andouille you can buy in the supermarket in DC doesn't even come close. You have already begun to see the fruits of my Louisiana Crawfish smuggle so I wanted to round it out with another recipe featuring my well traveled grub.

Andouille Burgers with Grilled Sweet Onions and Creole Remoulade Sauce
Recipe Courtesy Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

6 ounces andouille sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
1 1/2 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large Kaiser onion rolls
4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices sweet onion, such as Vidalia, Maui or Walla Walla
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar
Creole Remoulade Sauce

Directions

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Place andouille sausage in food processor.

Finely chop the andouille sausage in a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the beef, garlic, Worcestershire, 1 teaspoon of the Essence, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper.

Blend together being careful not to overwork the mixture. Form mixture into 4 (1-inch-thick) patties.

Grill the Kaiser rolls just until golden, turning, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to plates. Brush the onion slices on both sides with the oil and season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon Essence, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Grill until golden, turning, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the grill.

Place the hamburgers on the grill and cook to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the cheese over the tops of the burgers and cook until melted.

Spread the insides of the buns with the Creole Remoulade Sauce. Place the hamburgers on the bottoms and top with the sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

This burger was so yummy. I rarely cook things that are so "junk foodish" and I am glad that when I did it was a gourmet twist on an American classic. It didn't even really taste like a burger at all. The flavor of the Andouille was so strong and gave the entire burger a surprisingly different twist . Both Forrest and I really enjoyed it!