Lamb Burgers with Saffron Bulgur and Sour-sweet tomatoes

This was the first meal of the year to be cooked in my kitchen and wow, what a meal it was. So very flavorful and truly delicious. I really like tomatoes with saffron, and the sweet caramelized onions work so well with the acidity of the sauce. I strongly recommend those two elements together. The lamb burgers were great as well, but you could switch those for some other protein if you'd like.


Lamb burgers: 
500 g lamb mince
3 garlic cloves, minced
zest from 1/2 lemon
1 egg
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
2 tbsp water
salt, pepper, pinch of dried oregano

Mix everything together and shape 12 even-sized balls. Heat some butter and fry - a few at a time. I like to get a little bit of color on one side, then turn them upside down and smash down hard. This makes nice, juicy patties. Then fry as usual, until they reach the right level of doneness (I always, always used a thermometer, but I realize most people probably don't.)

Saffron bulgur
500 ml lightly salted water
300 ml bulgur wheat
0,5 g saffron
1 tsp olive oil

Bring the water to a boil. Add the bulgur and cook for 10-12 minutes. Add the saffron about halfway through. Finish with a little bit of olive oil.

Sour & Sweet Tomatoes
2 shallots, finely sliced
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
10-15 cherry tomatoes, halved
salt

Melt the butter and fry the onions on medium heat until soft. Sprinkle with sugar and let the onions color a little bit. Add the sherry vinegar and the tomatoes and let the whole thing reduce for a few minutes. Season with salt.

To serve: thick yogurt, toasted hazelnuts