Mitraillette

If you've ever been to Brussels, you've seen or maybe tried a Mitraillette. My version features a spiced lamb burger, a pile of crispy fries, and roasted red pepper mayo. This sandwich is highly customizable but always awesome.

I know I can't be the only one missing travel. I'm so lucky to be living in the UK with all of Europe's great cities just a short (and usually cheap) flight away. I used to read travel guides all the time just for fun, imagining what I'd do when I finally got there. I had to stop doing that this past year because it started to feel like pure fantasty, and that was something my heart just couldn't take on top of everything else.

Growing up working class in Washington state, Europe seemed impossibly far away. It was something in books and movies, not something I could ever actually see with my own eyes. So now I never take travel for granted. A few summers ago, we went to Belgium and Luxembourg, and I absolutely loved it. In Belgium, we visited Bruges and Brussels, and I would happily go back to any of those places.

Naturally, while we were in Belgium, I ate as many frites as I could get my hands on, but being an embarrassingly picky eater, I never worked up the courage to try to order a Mitraillette. I don't speak French, and I was embarrassed to say I wanted one with no vegetables. People mock you for that, and I didn't want to come off as the obnoxious American tourist that I actually am. But I saw pictures of them everywhere, and I knew I needed to try this French fry topped sandwich. So I made one myself.

What's a Mitraillette?

In my research, I discovered that every friterie does them in their own way, so here's my way. I started with a spiced lamb burger because that's easy to make at home. I wanted straight cut oven fries, but the grocery deliveryman brought me crinkle cut microwave fries instead. It worked fine. I think they need to be fatter than McDonald's fries, say, but not as fat as British chips. Crinkle cut fries actually worked out well because they tend to get extra crispy with their expanded surface area.

In a Belgian friterie, there's a list of sauces as long as your arm for you to top your frites with. I made a roasted red pepper mayo in my food processor to bring a touch of heat. It's my simple take on sauce andalouse. And for the bread, it's got to be a baguette, specifically a demi-baguette if you can find them. I just bought a par-baked baguette, baked it until golden, and sliced it to fit. But the bread should have a nice crackle on the outside. I like mine to still be soft on the inside, but that's probably my American taste coming through again.

Beyond that, go crazy with other toppings. Geoff always wants jalapenos, so jalapenos he got. Maybe some thinly sliced red onion that's been soaked in vinegar for a bit. Throw on more sauce. Go crazy. It's your sandwich and your Belgian fantasy. Do what you like.

How to make a Mitraillette

Basically, we're just preparing a few disparate elements, then stacking things onto bread. You'll need to make the roasted red pepper mayo if that's not something you can get at your local grocery store. If you can, just buy it. I just scooped some mayo and some jarred roasted red peppers into a food processor, sprinkled in a bit of cayenne, and let the machine do all the work. Taste and adjust to your liking.

To make the lamb burgers, we're adding a whole mess of spices to ground or minced lamb. See the recipe card for all the details, but we're looking to make these lamb burgers taste like doner kebab without having to have a huge chunk of meat roasting on a spit in your kitchen. Mix this all up and shape your meat into oblong burgers. Cook them in a hot cast iron skillet.

But it's really the frites that make this a Mitraillette. I wouldn't try to make them from scratch, but if you have a deep fat fryer, it might not be too much of a hassle. Do what works for you, just make sure they're nice and crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Then build your sandwich on your baguette. I like to spread a layer of the roasted red pepper mayo on the bottom first, then add the lamb burger. Throw on some extra toppings if you like. Pile your fries as high as you like, then dollop on more sauce. You're gonna need a knife and fork for this one, kids. It's a bit of a beautiful beast.

Make it magical

Coriander is a great ingredient for love. Use it when you want to enhance love or lust, and it can also be used to promote peace between people who struggle to get along. Also used for healing, protection, and prosperity, among other things, coriander is a very versatile magical plant. (Source: Vayas Witchcraft)

For more magical information on other ingredients in this recipe, including potatoes, bread, and bell peppers, see my Kitchen Magick page.

I can't wait to try new food in new places one day. Until then, this Mitraillette is so super awesome, I think I'll be content for a while. I hope you give it a try.

Looking for more awesome and creative burger recipes? Try this Jalapeno Cream Cheese Stuffed Burger or these Cuban Burgers?

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Lamb burger recipe adapted from BBC Food.