Turkey Burgers with Roasted Eggplant

Leftover eggplant puree from this recipe is perfect as a dip for toasted pita wedges. Marmite is a concentrated yeast paste that helps give this burger meaty flavor—find it in supermarket baking aisles and health-food stores. Use sesame-poppy seed buns.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

Ingredients

• 1  (8-ounce) eggplant
• Cooking spray
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 4  teaspoons  olive oil, divided
• 1  teaspoon  fresh lemon juice
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 3/4  teaspoon  kosher salt, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1  pound  turkey tenderloins, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1  teaspoon  less-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4  teaspoon  Marmite
• 4  (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted
• 4  Bibb lettuce leaves
• 4  (1/4-inch-thick) tomato slices

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Lightly coat eggplant with cooking spray; wrap eggplant in foil. Place eggplant on a jelly-roll pan; bake at 400° for 45 minutes or until very tender, turning once. Remove from foil; cool slightly. Cut eggplant in half. Carefully scoop out pulp to measure 1 1/4 cups; discard skin. Place pulp in a food processor; process until smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup pureed pulp. Combine remaining pulp, 1 tablespoon parsley, 2 teaspoons oil, juice, and garlic. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; set aside.

3. To prepare grinder, place feed shaft, blade, and 1/4-inch die plate in freezer 30 minutes or until well chilled. Assemble the grinder just before grinding.

4. Arrange turkey pieces in a single layer on jelly-roll pan, leaving space between each piece. Freeze 15 minutes or until meat is firm but not frozen. Combine meat and remaining 2 teaspoons oil in large bowl; toss to combine. Pass meat through meat grinder completely. Immediately pass meat through grinder a second time. Combine reserved 1/4 cup eggplant puree, turkey, remaining 1 tablespoon parsley, soy sauce, and Marmite in a large bowl. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Press a nickel-sized indentation in the center of each patty. Cover and chill until ready to grill.

5. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

6. Lightly coat patties with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place patties on grill rack, and grill 4 minutes until well marked. Carefully turn patties over, and grill 3 minutes or until done. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 1 tablespoon eggplant mixture, 1 lettuce leaf, 1 tomato slice, and top half of bun. (Reserve remaining eggplant mixture for another use.)

Wine note: Turkey Burgers with Roasted Eggplant have a rich and meaty flavor, accentuated by the addition of Marmite. This savory, meaty character is often identifiable in the affordable and intriguing reds of France's Languedoc region, like Jean-Luc Colombo Syrah La Violette 2007 ($12), with chewy black fruit and notes of fresh herbs and smoked meat that pump up the flavor even more. --Jeffery Lindenmuth

Nutritional Information

Calories:

311

Fat:

12.5g (sat 3g,mono 2.8g,poly 1.5g)

Protein:

26.9g

Carbohydrate:

23.3g

Fiber:

1.9g

Cholesterol:

65mg

Iron:

3.6mg

Sodium:

522mg

Calcium:

70mg