Kitchen Encounters

~ Herbaceous Caramelized-Onion & Boursin Burgers ~

Eating à la Française, in the the style of the French people, is a remarkable experience.  As a person who is 100% willing to throw calories under the bus for outstanding fare, dining in France is literally at the top of my food chain.  Speaking of chains, over the past few decades, "le fast food chaînes" have indeed invaded France, but, only to the point of being easier to find without replacing "haute cuisine" (fine dining) or interrupting eating "en famille" (family-style meals).  

That said, for a culture that loves "pissaladière" (the French answer to pizza) and has long-established ties to "pommes frites" (French fries), a "hambourgeous-fromage" (a hamburger with cheese), unless it is purchased at a "Quick" (a fast-food chain), is different from the American-style hamburger or cheeseburger in that it is made with "biftek haché" (chopped beefsteak), which gives it a coarser, slightly dryer, not to be confused with dried-out texture -- it's wonderful.  One more bit of trivia: It's not a "Royale with cheese", juste "le Royale cheese".  C'est la vie!

As the French say:  "Du pain, du vin, du Boursin."

Translates to:  "Some bread, some wine, some Boursin."

Boursin is classified as a "specialty" cheese, but, I classify it as "party cheese" -- serve it at a party with crackers or toasts and people flock to it.  This cow's milk cheese has a creamy, buttery texture and a full flavor, similar to cream cheese, which makes it perfect to serve with wine or cocktails.  The Boursin brand is available in five flavors, (Garlic & Fine Herbs is my favorite). Whichever one you choose, there are two constants in each variety of Boursin:  garlic and peppercorns.  

Boursin was the creation of François Boursin in 1957, in Normandy.  It was "his take" on the French tradition of serving cheese with an assortment of minced, fresh herbs, which guests sprinkled atop the cheese to suit their own palate. Here's one last bit of trivia: When you are purchasing Boursin, if the package does not say "all natural Gournay cheese on it", it is not authentic Boursin.  "Gournay" is the word François Boursin picked (naming it after the town he grew up in) when he was required to declare its origin to customs officials.  The Boursin brand was first advertised on television in France using the slogan, "Du pain, du vin, du Boursin", meaning, "some bread, some wine, some Boursin".

Want caramelized onions on your 'burger?  Make 'em first:

Onions contain a lot of sugar and slowly cooking them on the stovetop draws out their natural sweetness. The longer and slower they cook, the sweeter they get.  When lightly-browned or browned, they take on a pleasant, nutty taste.  When caramelized to a deep amber color, they get sweet.  Caramelizing onions is easy, but, if it's a deep caramel color you want, you'll need to allow a good 35-45 minutes.  

Technically, any onion can be caramelized, but I think sweet onions work best, with yellow onions being my second choice -- I don't recommend caramelizing red onions.  My favorites are: Vidalia, Walla Walla, Maui, Texas Sweet and NuMex.  Here are two tips:

1)  To insure even cooking, slice to a consistent thickness.

2)  Onions will loose about 2/3 of their volume, so start with a lot more than you think you need.

1 1/2 pounds (after peeling) 1/8"-1/4"-thick-sliced half-moon-shaped sweet onion (6 cups) 

3  tablespoons olive oil

3  tablespoons salted butter

1  teaspoon granulated sugar 

1/2  teaspoon sea salt

2-4  tablespoons sweet white wine, for deglazing pan (vegetable stock or plain water may be substituted)

~Step 1.  Peel and slice the onions as directed.  Over low heat, in a 12" skillet, melt the butter into the olive oil.  Add the onions to the skillet.  Season with the sugar and salt.  Using a large slotted spoon or spatula, toss until the onions are evenly coated in the oil/butter mixture.  

~Step 2.  Increase heat to medium-high.  Continue to slowly cook, stirring occasionally.  After 10 minutes, onions will have lost a lot of volume and will be limp and steamed through.  There won't be any browning just yet.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, another 10 minutes. It's now that you are going to start to see what I refer to as light browning.  Continue to cook, stirring more frequently, another 10 minutes. Now onions are nicely-browned and truly beginning to caramelize.

Note:  From this point on, do not leave the stove.  The onions will require almost constant stirring, and, they can and will go from browned to burned quickly.  My onions cooked for another 5 minutes today, with me stirring constantly, before I added the wine and quickly (30-45 seconds) deglazed the pan, or, for a total of 35 minutes.  Deglazing the pan is an important step that takes caramelized onions from ordinary to extraordinary, so don't be inclined to skip it.

Parameters for my American-French cheeseburger:

Every once in a while I like to pretend I'm from France.  Today, my inner-French-self decided to come up with a to-die-for American-French-style cheeseburger that would make any Frenchican or American proud to eat.  My parameters were quickly established.  Start with a 2:1 ratio of American, store-bought ground beef to French-style processor-minced steak (flank steak). Liberally season the meat mix plenty of dried/dehydrated garlic, onion, salt, pepper, French herbes de Provence + a boost of granulated beef bouillon.  The steaky-textured 'burgers get pan-seared, relatively-quickly in a bit of melted butter, then topped with a creamy, flavor-packed French cheese, Boursin, and, caramelized onions.  Served on a French roll (there is no substitute for brioche) with green-leaf-lettuce, these moist, juicy burgers need no special sauce.

For the beef and seasoning mixture:

2  pounds 85/15 (85% lean/15% fat) ground beef

1  pound flank steak

2  teaspoons herbes de Provence

2  teaspoons fine sea salt

1  teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper

1  teaspoon dehydrated, minced garlic

1  teaspoon dehydrated, minced onion

1/2  teaspoon garlic powder

1/2  teaspoon onion powder

1  generous teaspoon granulated beef bouillion (1 packet)

~Step 1.  Place 2 pounds ground beef (32 ounces) in a large bowl. Cut 1 pound flank steak (16 ounces) flank steak into 1 1/2" chunks.  Place the chunked steak in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade -- depending upon the size of the food processor, working in two batches may be necessary.  Using a series of 30 rapid on-off pulses, process/grind/mince the meat.  Place the ground steak in the bowl with the ground beef.  Using your hands, thoroughly combine the two.

~Step 2.  In a small bowl, thoroughly stir the herbs and seasonings together.  Sprinkle the seasoning blend over the top of the meat mixture. Using your hands, thoroughly combine the two.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator 1-2 hours, or overnight, to allow the flavors time to marry -- if you have the time, overnight is terrific.

My American-French cheeseburger -- the Boursin burger:

For the 'burgers, the toppings & the buns:

3  pounds Mel's-meat mixture, divided into 8, 6-ounce portions, each portion (initially) formed into, 4"-round 'burgers

1 5-ounce wheel garlic-and-fine-herb-flavored Boursin cheese, cut into 8 wedges, at room temperature, very soft

1-1 1/2 cups caramelized onions, from above recipe

8  4"-round brioche hamburger rolls, sliced in half horizontally, toasted or untoasted, your choice

1  head, soft Bibb lettuce, 2-4 leaves per sandwich

3 tablespoons salted butter, divided in half, for preparing electric skillet

~Step 1.  Divide the meat mixture into 8 portions, then using your hands and the aid of a 4"-round food-ring, pat and press them into thick discs, about 4"-round (they will get flattened more during cooking process).  Set aside, to come to room temp, about 30 minutes.  Cut Boursin into wedges and set aside, covered with plastic wrap, to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

~Step 2.  In electric skillet, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over low heat.  When melted, using a pastry brush, paint bottom of skillet. Increase the heat to 385° and wait 30 seconds.  

~Step 3.  Place four 'burgers in the skillet and using a grill press or a spatula, firmly press each 'burger down, lifting and lowering the press 2-3 times to make sure the surface has been evenly pressed (into a free-form, craggy-edged 4 1/2"-5"-sized patty).  Sauté for 2 minutes.  Flip the 'burgers over and cook for another 2 minutes (1 1/2 minutes for rare-ish, 2 minutes for medium-rare-ish).  Turn heat off.  When the butter-sputtering stops, use a spatula to transfer to rolls topped as directed below.  Repeat process with remaining four 'burgers.

Brioche bun, lettuce, 'burger, Boursin, onions, eat:

Herbaceous Caramelized-Onion & Boursin Burgers:  Recipe yields 1-1 1/2 cups caramelized onions/8 Boursin burgers.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; kitchen scale; 12" nonstick skillet; large spoon; paper towels; plastic wrap; 4"-round food ring (optional); 16" electric skillet; pastry brush; 'burger press or spatula; wide spatula;  serrated bread knife

Cook's Note: Mashed, smashed or whipped potatoes, made from Russets, reds or golds, skins on or skins off, baked in the oven, boiled on the stovetop or cooked in the microwave -- a case can be made, and a recipe developed, for each and every scenario, and, as long as the end justifies the means, the basic machinations for potato perfection is, for the most part, personal. ~ Buttery-Rich & Boursin-Cheesy Whipped Potatoes ~ are a personal favorite.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2025)

~ Buttery-Rich & Boursin-Cheesy Whipped Potatoes ~

Mashed, smashed or whipped potatoes, made from Russets, reds or golds, skins on or skins off, baked in the oven, boiled on the stovetop or cooked in the microwave -- a case can be made, and a recipe developed, for each and every scenario, and, as long as the end justifies the means, the basic machinations for potato perfection is, for the most part, personal.  Truth told, while I like some versions better than others, and, with the exception of one experience (where the gal unforgivably served unpalatably "soupy potatoes" made with chicken stock in place of cream, to cut back on fat, with a consistency that bastardized the word purée), I've never eaten mashed potatoes I didn't like -- in the end, salt, pepper, a pat of butter or some gravy can fix anything.

~ I Love My Mom's Old-Fashioned All-Beef Meatloaf ~, and, as we all know, like 'burgers-and-fries and steak-and-baked, meatloaf-and-mashed go hand-in-hand.  When mashing, smashing or whipping potatoes, everyone knows a goodly amount of soft or melted butter is a must.  For creaminess, some add warm cream or milk, others add buttermilk or sour cream.  Past that, common additions include:  bits of onion or garlic, bacon, and/or shredded cheddar or cream cheese.

Like cream cheese in your mashed potatoes?  

Boursin is classified as a "specialty" cheese, but, I classify it as "party cheese" -- serve it at a party with crackers or toasts and people flock to it.  This cow's milk cheese has a creamy, buttery texture and a full flavor, similar to cream cheese, which makes it perfect to serve with wine or cocktails.  The Boursin brand is available in five flavors, (Garlic & Fine Herbs is my favorite). Whichever one you choose, there are two constants in each variety of Boursin:  garlic and peppercorns.  

Boursin was the creation of François Boursin in 1957, in Normandy.  It was "his take" on the French tradition of serving cheese with an assortment of minced, fresh herbs, which guests sprinkled atop the cheese to suit their own personal palate.  Here's one last bit of trivia about Boursin: When you are purchasing Boursin, if the package does not say "all natural Gournay cheese on it", it is not authentic Boursin.  It seems that "Gournay" is the word François Boursin picked (naming it after the town he grew up in) when he was required to declare its origin to customs officials.  The Boursin brand was first advertised on television in France and Britain using the slogan, "Du pain, du vin, du Boursin", meaning, "some bread, some wine, some Boursin".

You're gonna love Boursin in your mashed potatoes.

2  pounds small, "baby" red potatoes, as evenly-sized as possible, cut in half

1  tablespoon sea salt, for seasoning the water

1  stick salted butter, at room temperature

3/4  cup cream

1/2  teaspoon dehydrated, minced onion

1/2  teaspoon dehydrated, minced garlic

1/2  teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper

1/2  teaspoon sea salt

1  5-ounce wheel garlic-and-fine-herb-flavored Boursin cheese, cut into pieces, at room temperature, softened (Note:  Homemade Boursin is super-easy to make -- check out my copycat recipe -- softened butter & cream cheese, herbs & seasonings + 5 minutes.)

~Step 1.  Remove the Boursin from the refrigerator.  Open the package and cut it into wedges.  Set it aside to soften, while proceeding with recipe as directed below:

~Step 2.  Slice potatoes in half and place in a wide-bottomed 4-quart stockpot as you work.  Cover with 2-quarts cold water and add 1 tablespoon sea salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Adjust heat to a gentle, steady simmer and cook until potatoes are fork tender through to their centers, 16-18 minutes.  Remove from heat and transfer to a colander to thoroughly drain.  Return steaming hot potatoes to still hot stockpot and return to still warm stovetop.  Add the Boursin, cover the pot and wait about 5 minutes.

~ Step 3.  While the potatoes are simmering, place cream, butter, minced garlic, minced onion, salt and pepper in a 1-cup measuring container.  Place in microwave to warm up gently, until butter has melted.  Remove from microwave and set aside.

~Step 4.  Remove potatoes from stovetop and uncover pot.  On medium speed of hand-held electric mixer, incorporate the Boursin and half the butter/cream mixture.  Add the second half of the butter/cream mixture and gradually increase mixer speed to high, whipping the potatoes while scraping down the sides of the pot with a large rubber spatula until smooth and creamy (except for the pretty chards of red potato skins), about 1-2 minutes.

Smashed, mashed or whipped, try a bit of Boursin next-time:

Buttery-Rich & Boursin-Cheesy Whipped Potatoes:  Recipe yields about 6 cups whipped potatoes.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; 4-quart wide-bottom stockpot w/lid; colander; 1-cup measuring container; hand-held electric mixer; large rubber spatula

Cook's Note:  Lots of folks add cheddar cheese to mashed or smashed potatoes.  It's a well-documented fact that "everthing tastes betta with chedda".  That said, if you've never tasted cheddar potatoes with dried mint flakes added to them, I implore to take a page out of my playbook.  Don't roll your eyes.  I've served these potatoes to a couple of schooled restaurant chefs who have changed their menus to serve "Mel's potatoes" with lamb or lamb chops. You gotta trust me on this one. I didn't invent the pairing of potatoes, cheese and mint.  My Eastern European ancestors did that for me. Where my people came from, parts of Russia and the now surrounding countries, the climate was cold and the growing season was short.  Along with chives, dill and parsley, mint was a hearty herb that grew like a weed.  It was the first to come to life in the Spring, but, it was the last to die in the Winter.  Click here to check out my recipe for ~ Creamy Smashed Cheddar 'n Mint Gold Potatoes ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos Courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2025)