Jamie Oliver's Crisp Burger Topping For Extra Crunch (No, It's Not Lettuce)

The Cambridge dictionary defines it as "meat or other food made into a round, fairly flat shape, fried and usually eaten between two halves of a bread roll." The go-to Reddit community for all burger-related discussions describes it as "a sandwich which consists of two buns and a ground patty of protein, most commonly beef." And while there is great joy to be found in simplicity, a burger can also be so much more, as proven by this Jamie Oliver masterpiece, which was originally featured on the show "Save With Jamie." It features a loosely packed, gently seasoned lamb mince patty on a toasted bun, with the crunch coming not from onions or lettuce, but thin slices of fresh apples.

Fruits and meats have always made for delicious pairings, the lightness and grease playing up each other's strengths. From stepping up as the sweet ingredient in the absolute best meatloaf to perfectly complementing a hearty sausage dish, apples go well with nearly every meat, from chicken and lamb to pork and beef. In fact, apple slices add a crisp sweetness to beef burgers as well as the lamb burgers Oliver rustled up in double quick time. "This gorgeous lamb burger is so quick and easy, there's not going to be many delivery guys who could get a takeaway to your door in the time it takes to make," Oliver says as he plates up his homemade artisan burger that stacks up stunningly: lightly toasted buns, ketchup, apples, spinach, the lamb patty (seasoned only with salt and pepper), melted blue cheese, and onions pickled in red wine vinegar.

If you feel crunchy apples aren't pushing the envelope far enough on your gourmet sensation, there are other ways to incorporate apples into your burger experiments. For example, you could take this mouth-watering blue cheese stuffed burger recipe that features honey-roasted pears, and use honey-roasted apples instead. While they may not be as crunchy as the slices in Oliver's burger, the roasting will make up for that with layers of sweet-and-savory flavor. The other option is to use an applesauce or an apple relish as a condiment.

In fact, since we're speaking of experiments, there's a Minted Apple Chutney that is served with the Lamb Belly at the Tar & Roses, in Santa Monica, California, which tastes just as delicious when spread on toast. We have absolutely no doubt that it would make a cracking addition to your Oliver-inspired lamb burger. If you're looking for a different kind of apple hit, we suggest using an apple butter. It doesn't have anything to do with butter; instead, apples and spices — especially cinnamon — give it a more rounded flavor profile when compared to fresh apples.

Basically, your options when it comes to experimenting with apples in your burgers are pretty endless. Just try to maintain the balance between the meatiness of the patty, the fresh sweetness of apples, and, ideally, the funky hit of blue cheese.