These burgers feels fresh and different, and it’s on the healthy side as far as burgers go. You could make it even lighter by ditching the bun – perfect in the summer straight off the barbecue.
MAKES 10
- 700g chicken (minced or not; use a mixture of breast and thigh)
- 10 spring onions, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp Parmesan, finely grated
- 75g fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
- Large bunch of coriander, stalks and leaves chopped
- 1.5 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 limes, zest and juice
- Groundnut oil (or other flavourless oil), for frying
FOR THE PICKLED CUCUMBER
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- Half a cucumber
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 red chilli, sliced
FOR THE MAYONNAISE
- 6 tbsp mayonnaise
- 5 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (or 1 tsp smoked paprika and 1 tsp harissa)
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- Salt and pepper
TO SERVE
- Burger buns
- 2 little gem lettuces, leaves separated
- 2 plum tomatoes, cut into 1cm slices
- 2 red onions, sliced into thin half-moons and fried until crisp
- First, make the pickled cucumber. Mix the vinegar and sugar together until dissolved. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the cucumber lengthways, working all the way around, but stopping when you get to the seeds. Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumber strips and toss. Set aside. When you are ready to serve, lightly toast the sesame seeds and scatter over the cucumber along with the chilli.
- Make the mayo. Put the mayonnaise in a blender with the chipotle peppers, lime zest and juice, and maple syrup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- If you are using minced chicken then simply place in a bowl. If not, roughly chop the chicken up, removing any gristle, and pop into a food processor. Pulse until it is just minced – you do not want to form a paste. Add the rest of the burger ingredients to the minced chicken, season with salt and pepper, and combine. Using your hands, shape into 10 burgers and place on a plate, then flatten slightly with your hand (you don’t want them too thick as they must cook fully all the way through, unlike traditional beef burgers).
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add the chicken burgers and cook, in batches, for 4 mins each side – they should be well seared. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
- Serve in toasted buns with lettuce, tomatoes, crispy onions, a generous dollop of the smoky mayo and the pickled cucumber on the side.
A Love of Eating: Recipes from Tart London by Lucy Carr-Ellison and Jemima Jones, published by Square Peg