Louisiana Burger

Louisiana, and in particular the city of New Orleans, is known for its amazing food. One technique that the local chefs there have mastered is blackening, a method by which a piece of chicken, fish, or steak is coated in a peppery crust and quickly cooked over very high heat to—well—blacken the exterior. The Louisiana burger applies this method to a burger. (If you don’t want to take it all the way to black, you can do something called “bronzing,” which follows the same principle as blackening but does so to a lesser degree of darkness.) Blackening is best done in a cast-iron pan. I based the condiment for this burger on the classic New Orleans rémoulade sauce; it incorporates so many of the things that I use on my burgers—such as mustard, hot sauce, mayonnaise, and pickles (sour cornichons, here)—into one delicious spread.