Make the perfect cheeseburger with The Huxtaburger Book

Dante, Jeff and I opened Huxtable in 2010, in Melbourne's Fitzroy. The restaurant name came from combining part of the surname of "Aldous Huxley" (as our venture was a "Brave New World") and "table". We liked the ring of "Huxtable", and also loved The Cosby Show.

People immediately thought we named our restaurant after the family in The Cosby Show, so when we decided to open a burger shop we thought it'd be fun to name the burgers after the Cosby family. As we decided to keep our burger range very small, focusing on wagyu beef, we still haven't run out of names!

Here is our standard burger, from which all the others derive. It is basically what would be called a cheeseburger deluxe in the United States.

WAGYU CHEESEBURGER DELUXE

1 heaped tsp sea salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

400g minced wagyu beef

4 slices cheddar

4 soft burger buns, cut in half

melted clarified butter, for brushing

tomato ketchup

20 pickle slices

spicy mustard

4 large tomato slices

4 iceberg lettuce leaves, washed, dried and torn

basic mayo

1. Mix the salt and pepper through the beef. Weigh out the mixture into four 100 gram portions and flatten them to about one centimetre thick. Lay the patties on a sheet of baking paper.

2. Heat a flat grill plate, or a large non-stick frying pan, to a medium heat. Cook the patties for about four minutes on the first side, then turn them over and place a slice of cheese on each patty. Cook for a further four minutes, or until cooked through.

3. Brush the insides of the buns with clarified butter and toast lightly on the grill, then build your burgers.

4. Build from the bottom, in this order:

Bun bottom - ketchup - pickles - cheese-topped patty - mustard - tomato - lettuce - bun top, spread with mayo.

Makes 4

PICKLES

Pickles in a burger help balance out the rich fattiness of beef. These pickles are nice to have in the fridge for other uses, such as tossing through a potato salad or even tartare sauce.

baby cucumbers, or 4 large Lebanese (short) cucumbers

Pickling spice mix

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

½ tsp chilli flakes

½ tsp allspice berries

¼ tsp mace

pinch of ground cinnamon

8 bay leaves

pinch of cloves

large pinch of ground ginger

Brine

65g salt

125ml white vinegar

½ tsp black peppercorns

2 tsp pickling spice

1. For the pickling spice mix, put all the spices together in a dry frying pan and toast over a medium heat for a few minutes, until fragrant. Using a food processor or spice grinder, pulse into a fine powder.

2. For the brine, combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan. Add the powdered spice mix and 1.25 litres (5 cups) water and bring to the boil. Leave to bubble away for three minutes, then remove from the heat. Strain through a fine sieve and allow to cool.

3. Slice the cucumbers two to three millimetres thick, using a mandoline​ or a sharp knife. Place the slices in the cold brine and submerge with an upside-down plate. Leave to pickle in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

4. Store the cucumbers in the brine in an airtight container. The pickles will keep in the fridge for up to three months.

Makes 4 x 250g punnets

SOFT BURGER BUNS

These buns are soft and slightly sweet, and simple and quick to make. Also, they compress nicely to hold all of the ingredients in, so the whole burger experience is not too "bready".

7g dried active yeast

30g unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 free-range egg

430g plain (all-purpose) flour

50g castor (superfine) sugar

1 tsp sea salt

1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 tbsp water

lightly toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling

1. Sprinkle the yeast into 250 millilitres (1 cup) of lukewarm water and leave for five to 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir to dissolve.

2. In a big bowl, combine the butter, egg, flour, sugar and salt. Add the yeast mixture and mix well, either with your hands, or using an electric mixer with a dough-hook attachment.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes, until you have a soft, smooth dough.

4. Place the dough in a clean, lightly greased bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise in a warmish place for 1-1½ hours, or until doubled in size.

5. Divide the dough into eight portions and shape each piece into a flattened ball. Place the buns on two greased baking trays, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for another 30 to 40 minutes, until they're quite puffy and doubled in size.

6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190C.

7. Brush the buns with the egg yolk mixture, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 12 to15 minutes, or until golden brown.

8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack. Use within two days, or freeze for later use. To freeze them, put them in freezer bags, expel as much air as possible and seal tightly; they will keep for several months.

Makes 8 buns

SPICY MUSTARD

This may surprise you, but mustard is actually very easy to make. This is a good base recipe that you can personalise to your taste by adding any spices or herbs you like.

2 tbsp brown mustard seeds

2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds

50ml port

100ml red wine vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

1. Bring all the ingredients to the boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat, cover and let sit at room temperature overnight.

2. Using an upright blender or hand-held blender, blitz to make a seeded mustard. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two months

Makes about 250 grams (1 cup)

BASIC MAYO

6 egg yolks

50ml white wine vinegar

60g dijon mustard

2 tsp sea salt

2 cups (500ml) vegetable oil

50ml warm water

1. Place the egg yolks, vinegar, mustard and salt in a stainless steel or glass bowl, or the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Whisk together to combine.

2. Slowly drizzle the oil down the side of the bowl while whisking constantly. If the mixture becomes too thick, add a little of the warm water to thin it down as you go.

3. Once all the oil has been incorporated, you can adjust the seasoning and also the consistency of the mayo with a little more of the warm water.

4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

5. The mayo will thicken in the fridge, but you can adjust the consistency again by whisking a little water into it.

Makes about 750 grams (3 cups)

TOMATO KETCHUP

Here is a recipe that I've used a few times, and it will get you something close to the classic old Heinz number.

185g tomato paste (concentrated puree)

125ml white vinegar

125ml light corn syrup

1 tbsp castor (superfine) sugar

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp onion powder

⅛ tsp garlic powder

1. Combine all the ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan. Add 60 millilitres of water and whisk over a medium heat until smooth.

2. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Once the desired consistency has been reached, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one month.

Makes about 250 millilitres (1 cup)

HAND-CUT CHIPS

One particular potato reigns supreme when it comes to chips: the russet burbank, commonly known as the Idaho potato. It has a dry, mealy texture, so it has a crisp exterior and a very light, fluffy interior when roasted or fried. It also mashes well.

4 russet burbank potatoes, scrubbed and patted dry with paper towel

vegetable oil, for deep-frying

1. Cook the potatoes at a simmer in a saucepan full of salted water until tender – about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on their size. Drain and leave to cool.

2. Cut the cooled potatoes to your preferred size, separating the chips so that they don't stick to each other during cooking. (They can be pre-cooked a day or two ahead.)

3. In a medium saucepan, heat 10 centimetres of oil to 175C. You can test by dipping a wooden chopstick in – the oil should sizzle when ready.

4. Gently place some of the chips into the oil and fry for three to four minutes, or until golden, crisp and cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately drain on paper towel. Keep warm in a low oven until all the chips are done.

5. Season with sea salt and enjoy with your favourite burger and an ice-cold beer!

Serves 4

This is an edited extract from The Huxtaburger Book by Daniel Wilson published by Hardie Grant Books $29.95 and is available in stores nationally.