Bucky Burgers

This recipe is one of my favourites and works well in the Mass Preparation Freezer Storage With Reheating In The Microwave paradigm that is the favourite of all Can't Be Bothered cooks.

See it on Geocities at http://www.geocities.com/cookbook/Appetizers_Snacks/Other/208.html.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Buckwheat Groats*
• 2 cups Water
• 1 tablespoon Salt
• 1 cup Plain Wholewheat Flour
• 2 tablespoons Peanut Oil
• 2 small Grated Onions
• 4 Spring Onions (use the whole onion - cutting off only the top inch - this means that you will be using the tasty green bit as well).
• Rolled Oats

* It is possible to buy buckwheat that is already roasted. If you do this, then omit the roasting part of the recipe. I would recommend that you roast your own.

Method:

Dry-roast the buckwheat evenly in a deep sided saucepan until brown - stir consistently otherwise they will burn. Add the water (some recipes suggest boiling water but considering the fact that you have just roast the buckwheat, this is a little dangerous) and salt and boil for around 20 minutes until the water has been absorbed. This product is called Kasha and towards the end of the boiling process, should be stirred so that each grain remains separate. Let the Kasha cool down - it has to be quite cool for the next stage that involves it.

In a wok, add the oil and lightly fry the onions. Add the spring onions and cooled Kasha and flour (the resulting mixture should not be hot enough to cook the flour), kneading to a firm consistency (add some water or flour to adjust this).

Form the mixture into small balls and roll them in the rolled oats, then squashing them into the burger shapes.

Fry in oil in a frying pan until cooked right through (the thinner - the quicker) and browned on the outside. Consistency is the trick with this - set up a production line, making the burgers the roughly the same weight and thickness and the level of heat and time required will make the job a lot easier.

When cooked, remove and place on absorbent kitchen paper towelling.

Variations:

Instead of (or in addition to) spring onions, a variety of other flavourings may be used:

1. Chilli;
2. Sage;
3. Pimento;
4. Miso;
5. Curry;
6. Tomato (use tomato puree);
7. Mushroom;
8. Hoi Sin Sauce;
9. Garlic; and so on.

Remember that anything that goes into the burger should have no dimension greater than the thickness of the burger otherwise the burger will start to lose its structural integrity.

Storage:

If not eaten immediately, either store in a refrigerator and eat within a few days (animal free cooking lasts so much longer than the meat analogues such as beef burgers) or pack separately and freeze. I have eaten Bucky Burgers that have been frozen for over a year and come to no harm - get to know what your freezer is capable of.

The burgers may be reheated in the microwave in only a few minutes with an adjustment for frozen burgers.

Serving suggestions:

Serve with chips, between toasted baps with tomato sauce and so on. The burger is such a versatile food shape that it lends itself to almost any food (including, believe it or not meat) in almost any presentation.