Bucket Scene: Hudsons Burger Joint - Umhlanga

So my favourite burger joint opened in Durban last week, for me Hudsons was my first taste of a "gourmet burger" if you can call it that. My first experience was at their original store on Kloofnek Street in Cape Town, back then they still had lamb burgers on the menu, I was hooked thereafter, and clearly I wasn't the only one as they then started to expand, opening up more stores around the city and then tried their hands in foreign territory, opening up a branch in Parkhhurst, Johannesburg. When on my travels to either city I would try to go have a meal there at least once during my stay and more often that not I would stick to my favourite burger on the menu, seeing that I only had Hudsons once in a while

Now you can only imagine my joy when I found out that Hudsons were opening in Durban, situated on the corner of Lighthouse Rd and Chartwell Drive, in the building that formerly housed the Dutch, is where you will find them. They've redone most of the interior, making it more of a diner/ dive sort of setting, which is chilled and relaxed. The menu has been slightly tweaked to suit the Durban market and they have a host of burgers to suit any palate and now since they in Durban I can try other burgers on the menu! But being the first time in their new Durban branch I went along and ordered my usual, the Bacon Jam. Some say it is their best burger on the menu but for me it ticks all the right boxes, succulent patty topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, bacon jam and crispy dusted onion rings, I swop out the beef patty for ostrich since I don't eat beef.

Apart from delicious burgers, they have a host of other items on the menu, like appetisers of which include Chilli Poppers, Chicken Strips and Sliders, if you're looking for something healthy on the menu, there's always the salads if which I've heard the "The Empire" is quite good and they also offer grills and tacos if you looking for something else. All that eating will require something equally good to wash it down with, thankfully they have a great selection of cold brews, with a variety of local craft beers, some of which are served on tap , a full on cocktail menu and extensive wine list for you to choose from. 

For those who are after the sweeter things in life, their dessert menu will have you drooling, the Deep Fried Oreos are certainly one to try. They have a great range of milkshakes as well, with The Cookie Monster being the ultimate, it has Bar One, Cookie Crumb rim topped with whipped cream and chocolate chip cookies. I've yet to try this one out but it's on the list of things I need to try. Overall, my first Hudsons Durban experience was nothing short of great, with the store fairly new,  there were minor hiccups but nothing to be concerned over, the food is great, the beers are cold and everyone has a smile on their face, is there anything else you need? 

For more information you can visit their website: theburgerjoint.co.za

Recipe: Roasted Ostrich Fillet

Well I got into the kitchen recently and made something different. There's only one type of bird I'm used to eating and that is chicken, I've tasted duck once or twice but never took a liking to it and the same goes for turkey but this time I decided to tackle a bigger bird. Ostrich, now its not like any bird meat you've seen, to start off its red and the package it comes with puts me off because it looks like its soaked in blood but I decided to go ahead and try it anyway. They say the meat is pretty healthy for you, its lean and doesn't have much fat. Here's how I went about cooking it.

Ingredients.

Ostrich fillet (200-400g)
1tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp English mustard
1 tsp golden syrup
thyme

1 tsp Robertsons Italian herbs

Extras

1 carrot, cut into strips
green beans, cut into long strips
1 large potato
half cup of milk
salt and pepper

Method

Mix ingredients in a bowl (besides the fillet), once everything is mix, massage it into the fillet. Once done, cover with cling film and pop it into the fridge. I let mine marinate over night so the flavour soaked in. Now to cook it, heat up a frying pan with some olive oil, make sure its nice and hot. We're not going to cook it, just seal it, so fry on one side for about 1 minute, then turn and seal for 1 minute. Once you're done, put the fillet in an oven tray along with what ever juice was left in the pan and from the dish it was marinated in. add your strips of carrots and green beans and cover with foil. Pop it into a preheated oven at 220 degrees. Allow to cook how you desire, I let mine get well done, it wasn't as dry as I expected and it still retained load of moisture.

I also made a smooth mash potato, boil the potato till its cooked. Mash in a bowl, add the milk and salt and pepper to taste. Keep on mixing till its nice and smooth.

I also made a quick cheese and spinach sauce, equal quantities butter and flour in a hot pan. Wait for the mixture to brown, add some milk while keep on stirring. add some cheddar cheese (I think this is the best cheese to use in a sauce). Once its thicken, take off the stove and add some chopped spinach and stir it in. Pour the sauce over the fillet while eating, it really is an awesome side! Enjoy.