Turkey Burgers with Harissa and Caramelized Onions

We eat a lot of turkey and therefore I need to make it taste differently, so we don't get bored with it. Last night I decided to give it a twist in a different direction. I used to live close to Strassbourg (France) and we'd eat "Merguez", a spicy traditional lamb saussage, in a bun with a bunch of Harissa on it.

Harissa is a traditional spicy hot chili paste, commonly eaten in Morroco, Tunisia and Algeria, whose main ingredients are piri piri chillies, tomatoes and paprika. It is widely used and a staple ingredient in Northern African cuisine. You can either order this paste online or find it in specialty stores like, "Bay Cities Italian Deli" in Santa Monica.

As we didn't want just regular turkey burgers, I came up with this spicier version, topped with caramelized onions and served with nice side salad. Below are the ingredients you will need:

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 small onion (finely chopped)
Handfull Parsley (finely chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped or pressed)
1 egg
1 1/2 Tbs Harissa (depending on how hot you want it)
1 ts Paprika
Red Pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper

Mix the above ingredients well in a large bowl and form 4 to 5 turkey burgers, cover and set aside.

For the caramelized onions, just slice 1 medium onion into fine rings or strips and melt 1 tbs of butter in a large skillet, reduce the heat and add the sliced onion, saute in the pan until they are soft and golden brown, add additional butter as needed, keep warm.

When the onions are almost done, you can heat up your grill. Once hot, reduce heat to medium flame and grill your turkey burgers until cooked through. If you do not have a grill, they taste just as good if you fry them in the pan.

I don't like to eat too much bun with my burger, so I arranged them on a nice slice of Whole Grain/Hazelnut Toast and served them with a side salad and some oven roasted baby onions.

Bon Appetit! En Guete! Mahlzeit!