Fried Chicken Burger

Makes 6 Burgers

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Do you know how many times I’ve been sat with friends, wondering what to order or where to eat and they suggest McDonalds. Fun fact about me, I haven’t eaten McDonalds in nearly 10 years. A little background on that: when I was 15 I ate an alarming amount of chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers. I then vowed one day to never eat McDonalds again. In fact, I have been sat at Maccas at 4am, after a few beverages, and watched as my friends inhaled all the fried beauty I could not eat. So when I’m sat there with my friends, and they suggest ordering McDonalds, and I casually mention that I don’t eat McDonald’s - as if I’m the second coming of Jesus Christ. They are all (mostly) very impressed with my self-control. To which I then respond - how about KFC? It seems I reached my fast-food-boycott limit with McDonalds and that I’m not opposed to a juicy fried chicken burger. In fact I’ll often order their tower burger, you know the one with a hash brown and cheese? Anyways, this is my entry into the fried chicken burger contest that does not actually exist, or probably does but I haven't entered anything into it. Dive in my friends.

Recipe

Ingredients

Marinade

• 6 Chicken thighs

• 200g of Greek yoghurt

• 1 tablespoon of Apple cider vinegar

• 2 Eggs, whisked

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper

Fried Chicken

• 250g Plain flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried thyme

• 4 tablespoons of paprika

• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon of celery salt

• 2 tablespoons of garlic salt

• 1 tablespoon of black pepper

• 1 tablespoon of dry mustard powder

• 1 tablespoon of ground ginger

• 3 tablespoons of white pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)

• 6 Marinated chicken thighs

• Canola oil (enough for frying, about 1.5 litres)

• 6 Slices of Cheddar (or your favourite melting cheese)

Spicy Mayo

• 2/3 cup of mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons of sriracha

• 1 tablespoon of pickle juice (optional)

Burger/Toppings

• 6 Brioche burger buns, sliced in half

• 2 tablespoons of softened butter

• 1 White onion, finely diced

• 1 Head of cos lettuce, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup of pickles/gherkins/cornichons, sliced

Method

Marinade

1. Combine all of the marinade ingredients together with the chicken thighs and massage the chicken thighs until fully coated with the mixture. Cover and place in the fridge for 6 hours or (ideally) overnight.

Fried Chicken

1. Combine the flour with all of the spices and mix until fully incorporated.

2. Dunk your chicken pieces into the flour, squeezing and pressing the flour into all of the crevices. Scrunch the flour into the chicken with your fingers, lift up the chicken and shake off excess flour, then repeat 3 times. Repeat this process with all of your chicken thighs.

3. In a pot, wok, or deep fryer, add enough oil to fully submerge the chicken. Heat the oil up over a medium-high heat. Deep fry the chicken pieces until deeply golden brown and fully cooked through. Place the chicken on a wire rack and season with a bit more salt and pepper. Then leave to let any excess oil drip off for 5 minutes. If you want an extra-crispy chicken (highly recommend) or you want to want to heat it through 30-40 minutes later, put the chicken back into hot oil for 2 minutes.

4. Set your oven to grill and place your chicken on a baking tray. Cover each piece of chicken with a slice of cheese then grill until the cheese has melted (about 5-8 minutes).

Spicy Mayo

1. Mix together all of the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Burger/Toppings

1. Butter each side of the burger buns and toast them until golden brown and toasted.

2. Place a large spoonful of spicy mayo on the bottom and top of each bun, then add some chopped onions, pickle slices, a piece of fried chicken, and a handful of lettuce to the bottom bun. Cover with the top bun, repeat for every burger, serve and enjoy!!

Stay Salty,

Romy xx