Lamb Burgers with Yassa Onion Jam. Tom McCorkle/photos; Gina Nistico/food styling, for The Washington Post

Eric Adjepong sees his personal story in sankofa, a Ghanaian word and concept symbolized by a backward-facing bird flying forward. In practice, it speaks to the need to understand history to move into the future. It’s a hallmark of the Ghanaian American chef’s food and cooking, and it’s what his debut cookbook, “Ghana to the World,” is all about. That translates to a combination of both traditional and modern, updated West African recipes, such as waakye stew, jollof rice and Seared Grouper with Peanut Salsa.

Adjepong entered the public eye in 2019, when he advanced to the finale of “Top Chef” Season 16, gaining a reputation along the way for putting his life story — pulling from both aspects of his heritage — on the plate. That exposure won the Washington-based chef fans and led to large brand partnerships, television shows, a nomination for People Magazine’s “sexiest man alive” and his newly opened restaurant Elmina.

“The roller coaster is still clicking up,” Adjepong said, and the book, written with Korsha Wilson, is the latest notch. It channels his food point of view into a tome of recipes and stories that are a reflection of him.

“I knew I wanted to tell stories with my food using West African flavors and ingredients but mixed together in my own way,” Adjepong wrote in one of the book’s essays. “There’s such a large knowledge pool of ingredients, techniques and dishes in West African cuisines that I knew I could tap into, but I wanted to combine them with new flavors and presentations I experienced in culinary school or from working in Italian and French restaurants.”

Exhibit A: These Lamb Burgers with Yassa Onion Jam. The onion jam pulls inspiration from Senegalese Chicken Yassa, the country’s national dish of chicken with onions, Dijon mustard and lemon juice. “I wanted to make a burger highlighting the jam-­like consistency that onions take on in yassa poulet, so I took the whole concept, stripped it down and turned it into a condiment similar to chutney,” Adjepong wrote in the recipe’s headnote. (The recipe is an homage to one of Adjepong’s mentors, Senegalese chef and cookbook author Pierre Thiam.) The resulting jam is savory from the slow-cooked onions, tart from the mustard and citrus, and vibrantly colored due to the ground turmeric.

The burger patty packs a wallop of flavor on its own from the thyme, rosemary and garlic mixed in with the ground lamb. Put the two together and you have yourself a masterful combination, where both components can stand up to each other without being overshadowed. That balance is one Adjepong tries to strike as an emerging presence in the culinary world — championing the people and culture of West Africa while inviting those who are curious about the foods from that region to join in. “I’m trying to keep things authentic but also palatable to everyone,” he said. “I love playing in that sandbox.”

It’s a push and pull, and Adjepong sits comfortably in the middle while trying to continue to search, grow, experiment and hone his craft. “I’m maniacal when it comes to food. I think about it all the time,” he said. “I can’t imagine doing anything else with as much passion.”

And that passion translates to the pages of his book, which joins a broader movement in food culture.

“Conversations about Africa and its influence have been happening for a long time, but now it feels as if the world is finally looking toward the continent for inspiration and to understand how deeply tied we all are to it.” His is the latest in a number of recent cookbooks focusing on African foodways. No one person can speak to the country, or the continent, entirely. But with “Ghana to the World,” Adjepong adds his singular voice and perspective to the discourse and wants you to extract from it whatever you can.

“If a visual artist were to create a gallery and invite people over, it’s not up to the artist to tell people what to think,” he said. “It’s up to people to make conclusions themselves.” My verdict? Both the book and the burgers offer a unique, delicious taste of what Adjepong has to offer.

The idea for yassa onion jam comes from Senegalese chicken yassa, the country’s national dish of chicken with onions, Dijon mustard and lemon juice. Tom McCorkle/photos; Gina Nistico/food styling, for The Washington Post

Lamb Burgers with Yassa Onion Jam

Flavorful lamb burgers are topped with an onion jam inspired by yassa poulet, the national dish of Senegal that features caramelized onions and chicken flavored with lemon juice and Dijon mustard. “I wanted to make a burger highlighting the jam-like consistency that onions take on in yassa poulet, so I took the whole concept, stripped it down and turned it into a condiment similar to chutney,” chef Eric Adjepong writes in his debut cookbook, “Ghana to the World.” If you have leftover onion jam, put it on sandwiches or serve it with roasted or grilled meats.

Make ahead: The yassa onion jam can be made up to 2 days in advance; warm before serving.

4 servings

FOR THE YASSA ONION JAM:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided

2 medium white onions (1 pound total), halved and thinly sliced

Water, as needed

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste

For the burgers:

1 pound ground lamb

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fine salt

Nonstick cooking spray (optional)

4 hamburger buns, toasted

Mayonnaise, lettuce leaves and thinly sliced tomato, for serving

To make the yassa onion jam: In a medium (3-quart) saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently and adding splashes of water as needed to scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, until softened and golden brown, about 18 minutes.

Add the vinegar, turmeric, garlic powder, Dijon mustard and coriander. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion mixture slightly darkens, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the lemon juice and the salt until combined. Taste, and add more salt and lemon juice, as desired. (You should have about 1 1/4 cups.)

To make the burgers: In a medium bowl, mix the lamb, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, pepper and salt just until evenly combined; divide into 4 equal portions and shape into balls.

Heat a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat until very hot and smoking. Working in batches, if needed, add the lamb balls to the pan, and use a spatula to smash them into patties 4 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick. (Spray the back of the spatula with cooking spray, if desired, or place a square of parchment paper on top of the meat to prevent the spatula from sticking.) Cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side, or until your desired degree of doneness. If needed, transfer the burgers to a plate, cover loosely with foil and repeat with the remaining burgers.

To serve: Spread mayonnaise on both halves of each hamburger bun. Top each bottom bun with lettuce leaves, a lamb patty, some of the onion jam, tomato slices and the top bun. Serve immediately.

Substitutions: White onions >> any type of onions. White balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar >> white wine vinegar. Dijon mustard >> yellow mustard. Ground lamb >> ground beef. Fresh herbs >> 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs.

Nutritional information per serving (1 burger with whole-wheat bun and about 2 tablespoons of onion jam) | 416 Calories, 26g Carbohydrates, 86mg Cholesterol, 22g Fat, 3g Fiber, 30g Protein, 9g Saturated Fat, 960mg Sodium, 9g Sugar