We recently attended the uber cool pop up Vanilla Kitchen, and got to eat a drink some amazing creations from some of Australia’s best Food & Drink minds. We were huge fans of the burger created by Jimmy Hurlston from Jimmy’s Burgers, and were lucky enough to chat to him about his inspiration and his plans for the future.
1. Will your starter from the Vanilla Kitchen be joining the menu at your restaurants, people loved it!
I’m pleased to tell you guys that these dishes will be available for the next three months at my restaurant, Guilty in Sydney’s Darlinghurst. The mini Burger Lord and mac & cheese, was actually inspired by the two top dishes at my restaurants. I tweaked the recipe a little, adding a Pepsi Max Vanilla bacon crumb to the mac & cheese, because who doesn’t love a vanilla bacon crumb!
2. Why did the flavours work so well together?
The flavours worked so well because nothing is as awesome as a salty/sweet combination. Cooking is always about balance, and if you can nail the perfect balance between salty bacon and sweet vanilla goodness, then you are onto a winner! The kola nut BBQ sauce ties everything together, it has a tang and also a little bit of a spicy kick to excite the palate!
3. Your burgers are becoming pretty Instafamous- where do you draw your inspiration from for your creations?
When creating new burgers I draw inspiration from all walks of life. Burgers have been designed by all and sundry the world over so I think it is important to both be inspired and to pay hommage to some of the great creations. I look to different cultures for inspiration and ideas. However, the one thing that really drives me is pushing the boundaries and trying to change the game. Every day I traul the internet, books, magazines and television to find ideas. I often find barriers to making burgers so the creation also becomes a problem solving and “trial and error” process. I want to keep food interesting!
4.Do you have any plans to expand on your burger empire?
Watch this space – no comment…but keep an eye on @jimmysburgers for the latest.
5.We are going to have a go at recreating The Burger Lord at home- do you have any tips?
This is a great burger to do at home, my tips would be to make sure that you get the balance right for the kola nut BBQ sauce and for the vanilla bacon crumb. I like my bacon extra sweet, so feel free to add in some more Pepsi Max Vanilla if you want to really pack a vanilla punch. The Burger Lord is definitely not a burger to be eaten alone, so make sure to get a bunch of mates around, pop some music on and serve it with a Pepsi Max Vanilla!
So guys keep an eye out on @JimmysBurgers on Instagram to see whats new, and if you’re planning on trying to make the burger heres the recipe below.
by Arrnott Olssen
Editor Rogue Homme
