American cheeseburger with Parmesan fries

New Yorkers certainly know how to serve burgers the correct way: forget neon cheddar slices, this version is served with a gooey, mustard-flecked rarebit with bitter ale, a crisp salad, and Parmesan fries for dipping into a sauce of choice (or strawberry milkshake, we won’t tell).

Ingredients

For the rarebit

• 500g grated cheddar cheese
• 100ml bitter
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• few drops of Tabasco
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• 1 medium egg yolk

For the burgers

• 500g minced beef
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• For the fries
• 1l vegetable oil
• 300g frozen skinny fries
• 25g Parmesan cheese

To serve

• 6 brioche buns, halved
• Butterhead lettuce
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 2 gherkins, sliced

Method

1. Line a 30 x 20cm baking tray with clingfilm. Place 50g grated cheddar cheese in a medium saucepan, pour in 100ml bitter then add 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp Dijon mustard and a few drops of Tabasco. Cook over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until the cheese melts.
   
2. Season well, then stir in 4 tbsp plain flour and keep stirring until the mixture thickens. Stir in 1 egg yolk then pour into the lined baking tray and put to one side to set.
   
3. Make the burgers. Put 500g minced beef into a bowl, season well, mix together and shape into six rounds. Rub a little rapeseed oil over the sides of each burger. Heat a griddle pan. Fry for 2 minutes on each side.
   
4. Preheat the grill. Cut the set rarebit into 6 squares.
   
5. Place the burgers on a baking tray and top with a square of cheese. Place under the grill for 2 minutes.
   
6. Meanwhile, fry the chips. Heat 1l vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180C or in a deep heavy-based saucepan until a breadcrumb sizzles and browns when dropped into it. (Hot oil can be dangerous; do not leave it unattended.)
   
7. Fry 300g frozen chips for 4 minutes, drain on kitchen paper and season with salt, then transfer them to a plate, grate 25g Parmesan over the top and serve with the burgers.
   
8. Toast the brioche buns. Layer up the lettuce, red onions and tomatoes. Top with a burger, gherkins and lid, then repeat until you’ve assembled all the burgers.