A decadent burger aimed to fatten you up (I’m guessing it’s somewhere around 1300 calories) and break your bank.

Completely delicious without the foie gras, or, for overkill, when topped with a slice of it, seared.  This is based on a recipe I found here.

Serves four.

For the Bois Boudran

1 tbsp sherry wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup good ketchup
4 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp chopped chives
1/2 tsp dried tarragon or 2 tsp fresh

1.  Slowly whisk the olive oil into the vinegar in a small bowl until blended.

2.  Whisk in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce until blended, followed by the ketchup, hot sauce, salt, and herbs and continue to whisk until well-blended.

3.  Set aside.

For the Burgers

3 shallots, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
400 grams (a little under 1 lb) ground beef, good quality
100 grams (3.5 oz) raw foie gras, chopped
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
4 tbsp butter
8 slices smoked bacon
4 slices Emmental or Gruyere cheese
4 ciabatta rolls

1.  Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan and add the shallots.  Add salt and pepper, to taste, and saute over medium heat until translucent, about five minutes.  Add garlic and saute for one minute longer.  Remove from heat and let cool completely.

2.  Gently mix the ground beef, foie gras, parsley, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and the shallot/onion mixture until well-blended.  Incorporate the egg, being careful not to overwork the meat.

3.  Cook the bacon over medium heat in a pan until golden brown and crispy.  Set aside.

4.  Cut the rolls in half and lightly toast both sides.

5.  Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat.  Add the patties and cook for 3 minutes or until the bottoms are browned.  Flip patties and saute for an additional 3-4 minutes.

6.  Add about 3 tablespoons of hot water to the pan, enough to touch the bottoms of the burger, and cover.  Let the burgers steam until all the water evaporates.  Transfer to a plate, leaving the pan on the heat.

7.  Add 1/3 to 1/2 of the bois boudran to the pan to deglaze, and raise the heat to high.  Let the sauce thicken for a minute.

8.  Place burgers back in pan and coat with the reduced sauce, flipping burgers to coat evenly.

9.  Top burgers with a slice of cheese, and cover briefly to melt.

10.  Serve the burgers on the rolls, each topped with two slices of bacon and the remaining bois boudran.