“To rissole purists, the word tomato relish in the same sentence as rissole sends shivers up their spines,” says Ben Shewry. “Not to mention looks of outrage. There are a couple of young Australians in the Attica kitchen who grew up believing that rissoles are a vegetable (which explains why they ate rissoles three meals a day) and therefore must be only eaten with tomato sauce. I haven't the heart to set the record straight. For some, the road to rissole enlightenment was a long and winding one.”
Makes 6
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
160g lamb mince
1 free-range egg yolk
20g onion, finely chopped
1 tsp parsley, finely chopped
1 heaped tbsp breadcrumbs
½ tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Coating
1 egg, lightly beaten
50g breadcrumbs
40g plain flour, seasoned with a pinch of salt
To serve
30ml olive oil
6 small slices cheddar cheese
6 small pieces of lettuce
6 small slices tinned beetroot
6 slices of gherkin
6 small slices tomato
1 tbsp tomato relish
6 wooden skewers
1. In a large bowl combine garlic, lamb, egg yolk, onion, parsley, breadcrumbs, mustard and a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Using your hands, work the ingredients hard in the bowl for 2 minutes. Once the mixture is well combined, pick up the mix with your hand and slap it back into the bowl. Repeat this continuously for 2 minutes. The mixture should be very sticky and look a little like sausage meat. Cook a little piece in a frying pan to check seasoning.
2. Divide the mixture into 6 even balls, press into 1.5cm thick discs to form nice rissole shapes.
3. For the coating, place the egg, flour and breadcrumbs in 3 separate bowls. Coat the rissoles in flour, tapping gently to remove excess, then dip in egg and finally breadcrumbs. Place in fridge until needed.
4. When ready to serve, heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Gently place the rissoles in the pan and fry for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and cooked. Drain on a paper towel and season with salt. Place a piece of cheese on each rissole, followed by lettuce, beetroot, gherkin, tomato and tomato relish, finishing with a skewer through the lot.
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