Fried Rosemary & Fontina Burgers

Remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Line a sheet pan with foil. Cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch-wide wedges. Place on the sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat; arrange in an even layer, skin side down. Roast 28 to 30 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, pick the rosemary leaves off the stems. Thinly slice the fontina. Roughly chop the onions. Halve the buns. In a large bowl, combine the honey (kneading the packet before opening) and as much of the chile paste as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a thin layer of oil on medium-high. Once the oil is hot enough that a rosemary leaf sizzles immediately when added, add the rosemary leaves. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until crispy and fragrant. Leaving any oil in the pan, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; immediately season with salt.

In a medium bowl, combine the beef and romano; season with salt and pepper. Gently mix to combine. Form the mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. Heat the pan of reserved rosemary oil on medium-high until hot. Add the patties. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until browned. Flip the patties (carefully, as the oil may splatter) and evenly top with the sliced fontina. Loosely cover the pan with foil and cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the patties are browned and cooked through.* Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a work surface. Carefully drain off and discard any excess oil.

*The USDA recommends a minimum safe cooking temperature of 160°F for beef.

Working in batches, add the halved buns, cut side down, to the pan of reserved fond. Toast on medium-high 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a work surface. Assemble the burgers using the toasted buns, mayonnaise, cooked patties, chopped onions, and fried rosemary. Transfer the roasted sweet potatoes to the bowl of Calabrian honey; toss to coat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the burgers with the dressed sweet potatoes on the side. Enjoy!