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Sure, 90 percent of takeaways are delicious. But ever wondered how to make them taste extra delicious? In our series, Takeaway Hacks, London chefs reveal their tips and tricks for sprucing up what the delivery person drops off. Last week we did curries, before that, pizza. This week? Burgers and chips.
1. Bin Li, Murger Han
‘The burger is the same as our “murger” or roujiamo: meat between bread. It originates from Shaanxi Province about 2,500 years ago, so we have had time to master it. I say take out your burgers and break up and loosen the meat but not too much, just enough to let the meat texture soften (adding a splash of dark soy sauce if you have any to hand), and you’ll loosen up those tasty layers of flavour and juices that can be packed too tight to give you a softer bite and chew.’
2. Su Tran, Mien Tay
‘People are scared of [dipping sauce] nước chấm but it’s better it you don’t smell it first! Add a tiny splash to your burger and it brings out really meaty flavours. It’s best done before cooking but you can also add to hot meat, just don’t get the bun wet.’
3. Tom Booton, The Grill at The Dorchester
‘If I get a burger delivered, I have to make my dirty mayonnaise for the chips. It’s made up of two parts mayonnaise, one part tomato ketchup, one tablespoon of chopped capers and gherkins and then a dash of tabasco to taste. I always have a pot of it in the fridge! It’s banging with a steak too.’
4. Andy Waugh, Mac & Wild
‘When ordering a burger and chips to take away you need to do two things. Firstly, eat the chips first as they will get soggy and lose their crispy edge, and secondly, allow the burger to sit, wrapped up in its packaging for ten minutes to allow the bun to soak up all the juices.’
5. Ani Arora, Hankies
‘For my burger patty, one of the spices that I would definitely add is garam masala, which is basically a few spices blended together and has a mix of sweet, hot, and savoury taste. I would replace the regular mayo with a mint chutney mayo.’
6. Mike Benson, The Cutting Room
‘Often burger juices run out after cooking. Not a problem if it’s on a plate but will just soak into the bun once it’s in a delivery box. Ask for the bun separately. This way you get a restaurant-quality burger, not a box of soggy shit!’
7. Simon Henbery, Chucs
‘I like to make my own burger sauce and have it in the fridge ready. Ketchup, mayo, shallot, French’s mustard and some sriracha. Perfect to pimp up any burger.’
8. Paul A Young, Paul A Young
‘Even a very average burger can be improved (especially delivery burgers as they get a bit overcooked). Add sliced pickled cucumbers, a generous splash of Worcestershire sauce and a sprinkle of smoked paprika and caster sugar (just a sprinkle) on the chips.’
9. Dario Carvalho, Casa do Frango
‘I add extra cheese, pickled gherkins and our infamous burger sauce, absolutely mouthwatering.’
10. Robin Gill, The Dairy
‘You’ve got to put tabasco on the chips.’
Explore our list of takeaways for delivery in London.
Find out how to make Padella’s pici cacio e pepe, Gloria’s lemon meringue pie and Eggslut’s Fairfax sandwich.