“There is no bigger honor to have the chance to give your passion, love, and art in THE house of James Beard.” — Chef Luke Owens, Boiler Room Oyster Bar, Kinston, North Carolina
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Chef Luke Owens is a husband and father, the Chef de Cuisine| at Boiler Room Oyster Bar, an Executive Chef and Owner of BROTH, and a James Beard Competition Finalist.
As the Chef de Cuisine, at Boiler Room, Chef Owens is in charge of all activities related to the kitchen, including menu creation, management of kitchen staff, ordering and purchasing of inventory, and plating design. Aside from his highly regarded roll at Boiler Room, he is also the Executive Chef of his own business, BROTH. Chef Owens and his wife, Britt, had been dreaming up ways to leave a bigger footprint in their community; to warm many bellies with local, organic, goodness. They ventured out and started making chef driven stocks and soups delivered to the doorsteps of their neighbors in Greenville, NC. Not only are they filling the stomachs of BROTH customers, but it’s their customers who help fill the stock pots at the local soup kitchens, donating a portion of the profits from each quart sold!
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Ingredients
Instructions
Make the preserved mushrooms. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add sugar, salt, pickling spice, apple cider vinegar, thyme and garlic. Bring to a boil, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Add mushrooms to large heatproof bowl. Pour liquid over top of mushroom mixture, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
For the aioli: Add mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, salt an pepper to medium bowl. Whisk until combined.
For the chimichurri: Combine parsley, cilantro, garlic, chili flakes, honey, red wine vinegar, preserved mushrooms, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until smooth. If needed, add olive oil to reach desired consistency.
For the fried onions: Pour buttermilk over sliced onions and marinate 15 minutes. Heat vegetable oil in deep skillet over high heat. Combine cornmeal, flour salt, and pepper in shallow dish. Coat marinated onions in flour mix. Pan fry onions until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
For the burgers: Add beef, sour cream, salt, pepper and preserved mushrooms to large bowl. Mix until just combined. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, sear the burgers on one side until a crust has formed, about five minutes. Flip and repeat. Top each patty with Gruyere cheese and cook until melted. Remove from heat. Toast buns to desire doneness.
To assemble: Spread a layer of aioli on both top and bottom bun. Place patty on the bottom bun and top with chimichurri, arugula and fried onions. Place top bun on top and serve.
