From thick, steakhouse patties to smashed burgers to grilled over charcoal, burgers come in many forms. However, these styles focus on the patty, but what about the bun part of this equation? Enter the puff pastry, courtesy of legendary Chef Jean-Georges. Instead of a potato bun or brioche, burgers at T. Brasserie, a bistro inside the Tin Building at The Seaport in Manhattan, are served between delicate and buttery puff pastry. We interviewed the restaurant to learn more about this unique creation.
Why puff pastry?
The bun is often a forgotten element of burgers. While some burger experts, like George Motz, highlight the supremacy of Martin’s potato roll, Chef Jean-Georges was curious to experiment with other options. According to Kenny Pinney, Chef de Cuisine at T. Brasserie, the restaurant wanted a bun that was light but also elevated the meat, while also being unique. The restaurant experimented with various breads but was not satisfied until they were prepping for their vol-au-vent (a stuffed puff pastry) dish one day.
“Then one day, while working on a vol-au-vent for T Brasserie, the shape came out to be the exact dimensions of a burger bun,” explains Pinney. “We immediately thought, this could be it! It worked amazingly well, and we often hear guests say that the puff pastry bun just evaporates into buttery lightness when you eat it.”
The result was two puff pastry burgers on the menu: the Gruyère Puff Pastry Burger and the Shrimp Burger. The puff pastry is also made in-house by T. Brasserie daily.
Making the burger
For the Gruyère Puff Pastry Burger, the beef is a classic, griddle-cooked patty. Seasoned with salt and pepper, the custom blend features chuck, brisket, and short rib. A crust is developed, but not to the level of the now-trendy smash burgers. To help cut the richness of the meat, the airy buttery puff pastry is accented with a smear of green chili mustard for acidity. The result is a light, yet rich flavor and textural combination.
But besides the beef burger, a shrimp burger is also offered at T. Brasserie. In our opinion, the shrimp burger, accompanied with cucumber, shiso, and spicy mayo, reminds us of the shrimp burgers in Asia, such as the McDonald’s Ebi Filet-O in Japan. In fact, the shrimp was inspired during prep for a dumpling dish.
“I had just pulsed the shrimp in the RoboCoupe when my timer went off for something in the oven,” says Pinney.” “When I returned, I noticed the shrimp were coarsely broken up and naturally sticking together. The texture alone made me wonder if it could be cooked like a burger. I took a small handful, pressed it onto the griddle, and — lo and behold — it was a burger!”
Of course, given the elegance of a puff pastry burger, champagne works great with burgers. “I love Bailly-Lapierre Réserve Brut (Crémant de Bourgogne with the puff pastry burger: it is bright and vibrant, balancing fruit notes with toasted, bready complexity,” explains Pinney. “For the shrimp burger, I love our cucumber martini; fresh muddled cucumber and mint with Hendricks gin and lemon.”
