Beef sliders with cheddar, red onion pickle and crème fraîche
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Beef sliders with cheddar, red onion pickle and crème fraîche
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Emma Franklin
Emma Franklin
Ingredients
- 250g beef mince (not lean)
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 100g mature cheddar, grated
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 8 mini white snack rolls
- 1 tsp poppy or sesame seeds
- sea salt
For the red onion pickle:
- ½ small red onion, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp caster sugar
For the watercress crème fraîche:
- a small handful of watercress, leaves picked, stalks discarded
- 60ml crème fraîche
- a squeeze of lemon juice
Step by step
Make the burgers, pickle and watercress crème fraîche a few hours ahead; chill. Cook and assemble the burgers just before serving. The uncooked burgers can be frozen.
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For the red onion pickle, toss the onion with the vinegar, sugar and
a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Leave for at least 30 minutes. -
Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Combine the minced beef, shallot, Worcestershire sauce, egg yolk and half the cheddar in a bowl and season with ¼ teaspoon each of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Divide the mixture into 8 and shape into patties.
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To make the watercress crème fraîche, finely chop the watercress leaves, stir into the crème fraîche with the lemon juice and season.
TipOf course, skewering the sliders with a cocktail stick or flag isn't essential – but does help hold them together and looks fun.
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Whisk the remaining egg with the sugar and a generous pinch of salt until the sugar has dissolved. Brush over the mini rolls and sprinkle over the poppy or sesame seeds. Put the rolls on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes until the tops are brown and glossy. Remove from the oven, slice open and keep warm under a clean tea towel.
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Preheat the grill to high. Fry the burgers in a little oil in a nonstick frying pan for 5 minutes, turning once, until browned all over and cooked through. Top each burger with a small mound of the remaining cheese, place on a baking tray and grill for 3-4 minutes until melted and bubbling. Serve in the buns, topped with a few slices of the red onion pickle and a spoonful of watercress crème fraîche.
