Thai-style chicken burgers
Apricot chicken tagine
SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES 4 cloves garlic, chopped 2 teaspoons sea salt flakes 1 tablespoon ground turmeric 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ⅓ cup (80ml) olive oil 1 large (200g) onion, peeled, quartered 5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut into 1cm pieces 4 (800g) chicken thigh cutlets 4 (600g) chicken drumsticks ½ cup (125ml) chicken stock 1 cup (250ml) apricot nectar 12 (75g) dried Turkish apricots, chopped 1 cup (180g) pearl (Israeli) couscous ¼ cup (35g) slivered almonds, toasted 1 Place garlic, salt, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, ¼ cup of the oil, onion and ginger in a small blender or food processor. Blend or process until a smooth, thick paste. Rub paste all over chicken in a large dish. 2 Heat remaining oil in a tagine base (see Julie’s tip) over medium-high heat; add the chicken, skin-side down. Cook chicken for about 3 minutes without turning, or until a caramel brown. Turn chicken, pour the stock into the pan with the apricot nectar. Scatter apricots around the pan. Bring to the boil; reduce heat to low. Place the tagine on a heat diffuser if you have one, to ensure a very low heat. Or place tagine in a preheated oven at 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Cook for 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 3 Remove the tagine lid; carefully lift the chicken pieces one by one and scatter the couscous around and under them. Turn off the heat; stand for 10 minutes. The couscous will swell and be ready to eat. 4 Scatter almonds over the tagine and serve to the table with some crusty bread and a green salad, if desired. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.
Thai-style chicken burgers
SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 35 MINUTES ¼ cup (70g) sweet chilli sauce ¼ cup (75g) Japanese Kewpie Mayonnaise 1½ tablespoons lime juice 4 brioche buns, halved, toasted 4 butter lettuce leaves
CHICKEN PATTIES
½ bunch coriander 500g chicken mince 1 egg, beaten lightly ½ cup (35g) stale breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon red curry paste 1 small fresh red chilli, chopped finely 4 green spring onions, sliced 1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind 1 tablespoon peanut oil 1 CHICKEN PATTIES Wash the coriander thoroughly and pat dry. Chop the roots and stems; reserve the leaves for serving. Combine the coriander roots and stems with the remaining ingredients, except the oil, in a medium bowl. Work the mince with your hands until it is holding together. Using damp hands, form the mince into 4 large, thin patties – make sure the patties are a little bigger than the buns as they will shrink when they cook. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Transfer the patties to a plate; cover to keep warm. 2 Meanwhile, combine the sauce, mayonnaise and juice in a small bowl. 3 To assemble the burgers, top the bun bases with the lettuce, Chicken Patties, mayonnaise mixture, reserved coriander leaves and bun tops. Uncooked patties suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.