I had been eyeing Ernest Hemingway's burger recipe in The Paris Review for a long time. It had so many moving parts, it was was a concerted effort to make India relish, Mei Yen and Beau Monde at home. If it helps, Mei Yen is basically salt, sugar and MSG. If you don’t prefer to use MSG, substitute a half teaspoon of miso paste. India relish and Beau Monde are available in ready to buy jars at specialty stores. I also learned that Beau Monde and Old Bay have a similar structure (except for paprika).
Photo by Hanna Elise Furey
I absolutely loved that this burger was jeweled with capers. I was worried about the chunky India Relish but because it was pre-cooked, it wasn’t disruptive in the silky bite.
Photo by Hanna Elise Furey
Photos by Hanna Elise Furey, GIF by me
I dressed this complex burger with whey ketchup, red onion, butter lettuce, jack cheese and fresh meyer lemon mayo all piled on a squishy potato bun. You can grab the recipe for the mayo in my cookbook.
Get the recipe for Ernest Hemingway's burger from The Paris Review.