Burgers

The burger's timeless appeal lies in its simplicity. A well-made burger can transcend the sum of its parts to become truly sublime. Paul Gayler, Executive Chef at The Lanesborough Hotel London, has turned it into a gourmet treat. Sweeping away the enduring perception of burgers as merely a fast-food staple, Paul Gayler allows everyone to bring gourmet cooking into their own kitchen - whether for a sophisticated dinner party or a low-key barbecue. With its iconic status assured for more than a century as America's staple convenience food, the burger has been enjoying a healthy revival of late - thanks to its mainstay of a few quality ingredients, cooked quickly and served up as fresh as can be. A succulent home-made burger makes the perfect meal: nutritious, filling and portable, it combines a host of flavours that tantalise the taste buds. In this serving of Burgers, Paul Gayler presents his favourite 25 burger recipes. As well as the expected Ultimate burger with 'the works', there's a wealth of delicious and imaginative offerings. For carnivores, there's an eclectic mix and not just beef: choose, for instance, from a Caribbean pork burger, Smoked chicken cobb burger, Tandoori lamb burger or Turkey BLT burger stack. Vegetarians and fish eaters can enjoy a Feta club burger, Southwest red bean burger, Lebanese kibbeh burger or Jumbo prawn burger, among others. There really is a burger for everyone. And where's a burger without some accompanying fries and sides? All the sides - from classic slaw and ultimate fries to basic mayo and Tabasco ketchup, and much more in terms of relishes, pickles and sauces - are handily grouped together at the back of the book.