Byron

By Tom Byng and Fred Smith

By Rebecca Stratton

If you’ve ever been to Byron, you know that their burgers are out of this world – such a great, simple but fun food concept, they’ve turned what was once a take-away and burger van treat into something that’s practically an art form! When I received this cookbook as a Christmas present, I was thrilled and couldn’t wait to recreate some of our favourite treats at home.

First up is a guide to making your own burger patties. Advice on the best cuts of beef to buy, how and when to grind the meat and how to cook them both on the BBQ and in the kitchen. Of course, you can buy some great quality steak burgers these days in your local butcher’s shop and even in some supermarkets, but it’s great to have a guide if you want to really go the whole hog (or cow?) as it were!

We then go on to the burger recipes,

Byron with melted Cheddar and cured 78 bacon, the California with lashings of home-made guacamole and the simply amazing ‘Miami Slice’, crammed with smoky sauce and shoestring fries. Non beef recipes include the Chicken Burger, Veggie Bean Burger and Mushroom and Goat’s Cheese Burger. The chapter concludes with a recipe for the famous soft and squidgy burger buns (I could eat these on their own I reckon – so good!).

Fries and Sides are next: French fries and classic British chips, glorious onion rings with a spiced Cajun beer batter - this is now a staple menu favourite in my house, and it’s the only thing I am prepared to switch on the fryer for. Macaroni Cheese, Hash Browns and Chilli Cheese Fries, along with a gorgeous recipe for Courgette Fries – simply marvellous at this time of year when you may have a glut of homefrom the Classic, Cheese, the signature

grown courgettes.

Sauces and toppings recipes include

Blue Cheese Dressing, the amazing Guacamole (Byron’s is one of the best I’ve ever tasted), Crispy Fried Onion Ring garnish and the classic bread and butter Pickles.

The ‘Food to Share’ section covers more Americana classic dishes, such as Buffalo Chicken Wings, Nachos, Mozzarella Sticks and Sticky and Sweet Ribs. ‘When It’s Rained Off’ is comfort food for rainy days including Meatloaf, Beef Shin Chilli, Fried Chicken (laborious but so, so worth it!), Philly Cheesesteak, Club Sandwich (these are due a comeback to be fair – I made thousands early in my chef career, and never understood why they aren’t still that popular), and lastly, Meatball Subs.

The salad chapter was a surprise, but I guess you can’t live on burgers alone! From classic Caesar to an amazing cob salad, which is a beautiful chopped salad of lettuce, bacon, eggs, avocado, chicken, tomatoes and blue cheese with a punchy vinaigrette – it’s simply one of the best salads there is in my opinion.

Desserts are all American: think gooey Brownies, Oreo Cheesecake, Apple Pie, the lesser-known Banana Cream Pie (chocolate, custard, bananas and cream, trust me, it’s a winner), ice cream sundaes and Banana Split (remember those?!). Followed by waffles and classic American thick and fluffy pancakes. Ice cream sandwiches utilise your freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and are such a fantastic standby dessert for a summer’s eve. The book finishes off with a short but sweet drinks chapter, again true to its American style with Shirley Temple, Iced Tea and the thick ice cream shakes they are famous for. I do love that simple, humble foods like burgers are now a stand-alone cuisine and concept using the very best ingredients and ideas, and Byron was one of the first restaurants of this kind. The book is very stylish with amazing photography and a catchy bright yellow cover. So, if you can’t make it to Bryon (#coronalockdown), you can bring Byron to you!