Usher in summertime with these creative recipes from Flay, chef and Food Network star, who offers expert instruction on taking burgers, fries, and shakes to a higher level with ease.

BOBBY FLAY is the chef-owner of three Mesa Grill restaurants (New York City, Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas, and the Bahamas), Bar Americain, Bobby Flay Steak, and Bobby’s Burger Palace. He is the host of numerous popular cooking shows on Food Network, from the Emmy-nominated Boy Meets Grill to the Iron Chef America series, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Grill It! with Bobby Flay. A New York Times bestselling cookbook author, he is also the food correspondent for The Early Show on CBS. This is his ninth book. His website is www.bobbyflay.com.

STEPHANIE BANYAS has been Bobby Flay’s business assistant since 1996. She is the co-author of Bobby Flay’s Grill It!, Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook, and Bobby Flay’s Grilling for Life. She lives in New York City with her beloved cat, Emily Rose.

SALLY JACKSON began working for Bobby Flay in 2001. A member of the theater company Eastcheap Rep, she is a New York City—based food writer and actress.

Crunchburger (aka the Signature Burger)

This is the “house” burger at Bobby’s Burger Palace. It’s a basic burger (I like it garnished with red onion, tomato, romaine lettuce, and horseradish mustard) with CRUNCH. The crunch factor comes from a big handful of potato chips layered between the burger and the bun. Some of you may have added chips to your sandwiches as kids, and if people ever told you that you were nuts, I’m here to say that you’re not! Oozing melted cheese becomes a part of the chips and those crunchy chips become a part of the burger–delicious. I love getting a mouthful of juicy burger and salty, crispy potato chips in one bite; it’s a way to get a true contrast of textures into your cheeseburger. In fact, I make it an option to have all of the burgers at Bobby’s Burger Palace “crunchified.”

Serves 4

1½ pounds ground chuck (80 percent lean) or ground turkey (90 percent lean)
Kosher salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1½ tablespoons canola oil
8 slices American cheese, each
¼ inch thick
4 potato hamburger buns, split; toasted
(see page 15), if desired
4 slices beefsteak tomato (optional)
4 leaves romaine lettuce (optional)
4 slices red onion (optional)
Horseradish Mustard Mayonnaise
(page 109), optional
4 handfuls of potato chips

1.Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each). Form each portion loosely into a ¾-inch-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.
2.Cook the burgers, using the oil (see page 16) and topping each one with 2 slices of cheese and a basting cover during the last minute of cooking (see page 21).
3.Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and, if desired, top with tomato, lettuce, onion, and a dollop of horseradish mustard mayonnaise. Pile on the potato chips, top with the bun tops, and serve immediately.

---

Excerpted from Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes by Bobby Flay, Stephanie Banyas, Sally Jackson
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.