GUEST RECIPE: Millet Burger with Olives, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Pecorino

3 Cups Water
1 Cup Millet
10 Sun-dried tomatoes*
1 Medium Garlic clove
1/3 Cup Pitted green olives, chopped
1/4 Cup Pine nuts, toasted about 5 minutes in a dry skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant
1/4 Cup Pecorino-Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, packed
4 Large Caper berries, stemmed and minced
1 Tsp Oregano, dried
1 Tsp Marjoram, dried
2 Tbs Unsalted butter
2 Tbs Olive oil
1. Bring the water and millet to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly until it’s like a thick, coarse, hot breakfast cereal, about 30 minutes. Uncover and stir well to incorporate any last bits of water. Scrape the millet into a large bowl and cool for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, fill a small saucepan about a third of the way with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Put the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in a small bowl; cover with the boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes.
3. Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in a colander set in the sink. Add them to the bowl with the cooked millet. Add the olives, pine nuts, Pecorino, minced caper berries, oregano, and marjoram. Stir well, mashing the ingredients together. You want texture here, bits of this and that scattered throughout the burgers, not a baby-food purée. Use dampened hands to form the mixture into 6 patties.
4. Melt the butter in the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet, preferably a nonstick one. Slip the patties into the skillet and cook until mottled brown and somewhat crisp, about 4 minutes. Flip them with a thin spatula and continue cooking until set throughout, mottled brown on the other side, and now nicely crisp, about 4 more minutes.
Servings: 6
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