Tuesday, April 28, 2009

City Grilling ...

Mother Nature is playing tricks on us again. We've gone from sweaters and gloves to shorts and flip-flops in a matter of days. While I'm happy to put my winter coat away, the need for air conditioning in April is a bit disconcerting.

I don't know about you, but when the weather turns warm the first thing I want to do is head straight for the deck, drink in hand, and throw some burgers on the grill. A careful search has confirmed that I seem to be lacking the requisite backyard, deck, and or grill ... sigh. I have no choice but to fire up the grill pan, turn on the a/c, and get cooking.

Spicy, Savory Chicken Burgers:
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, chopped
Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the peppers and leeks, a dash of Kosher salt and some freshly ground pepper, saute, stirring for one minute. Reduce heat to medium and sweat the leeks, stirring as needed, until they are soft and pale golden but not yet fully browned. Remove from heat. Cool and reserve.
  • 1 pound of ground chicken breast
  • 1 large clove of garlic, peeled and finely minced
  • 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and cut into small dice
  • 2 1/2 tbsp. good quality tomato paste
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 egg yolk
  • pinch of Kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper
  • the (cooled) cooked leek and red pepper mixture (above)
  • some sliced Gruyere cheese
In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients - except the cheese - and mix well until fully incorporated. Heat a grill pan over high heat and brush it with a bit of oil. When the pan is good and hot, but not yet smoking, form the chicken mixture into patties and grill over medium-high heat, turning once, about 5 minutes per side, or until done. Chicken burgers should be firm to the touch when done and fully cooked throughout. Top the burgers with some sliced Gruyere, cover the pan and allow the cheese to melt. Serve and enjoy.

As written this recipe will yield 4 to 6 patties, depending upon how big you like your burgers.

Personally, I prefer to skip the bun and serve the burger atop some crisp lettuce and garnish it with a quick little tomato and red onion relish ...

... to make the relish I simply combine some chopped grape tomatoes, chopped red onion, some red wine vinegar, a bit of olive oil, a drop of balsamic vinegar and some chopped fresh parsley. Stir well and add a dash of salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture over the finished cheese burgers and I assure you - you won't miss the ketchup.

It may not be summer just yet, but mix up a batch of these juicy, savory burgers and it will most certainly taste like it!

Careful viewers will note the crusty bit of flatbread next to my burger ... come back tomorrow and I'll tell you all about it.

Bon appetit!

17 comments:

Tracy said...

Only you, Diva, can make a chicken burger look good to me. The confetti of peppers and the melted Gruyere really make this burger look delicious. Yummy!

Unknown said...

Hey Diva, looks like a great summer recipe :D

Christo Gonzales said...

I will take a mini bbq up to my roof...this burger looks great and I dont think it would matter how you cook it.

Anonymous said...

Bring out the barbie. We are ready to grill for sure! The weather's heating up just right for charcoal and grill marks. Oh, and a cocktail. Because we like a cocktail too. Chicken/turkey burgers can be hard sometimes...seems like the grill sucks the juicy life out of them. Yours looks quite juicy though. And the cheese doesn't hurt!

The Diva on a Diet said...

Tracy - aw, thanks! Of course you could substitute turkey or some other ground meat ... but you know how I feel about chicken! LOL

HH - I only wish I had the outdoor grill to make them perfect.

doggy - you're a true New Yorker up on that roof! The old fogies would surely have my head if I tried the rooftop deal. Sad!

Duo - you're right, chicken burgers can be very tricky. That's why I included both some sauteed and raw veggies. It tends to keep them moist and the relish topping helps as well. I must say they were nice and juicy! :)

The Wino said...

Wow, that looks good! I have never been a fan of a brger that wsn't all cow, but I may have to try this! Anything grilled or with cheese is usually a winner in my book!Come on over to Phoenix, no shortage of grilling days and EVERYONE has an outdoor grill!

Sass said...

Looks delish, as always!

I have the most idiotic question...we can't get ground chicken here. Can I just have them grind it for me?

I know, I know...point and laugh. ;)

The Diva on a Diet said...

Wino - I had a feeling some readers might balk at the chicken burgers ... but honestly, these are so flavorful they're really worth the risk! LOL Would love to check out Phoenix someday ... when I do, you're on for some grilling - and wine too!

Sassy - no such thing as a silly question! I'd never thought about that because both of my local markets carry it fresh ... but I see no reason why you couldn't have the butcher grind up some nice boneless skinless chicken breasts. I wouldn't try to do it myself though - would be too messy and I don't think you'd get the right texture by using a food processor.

Anonymous said...

We had chicken burgers last night on whole wheat buns. They were great and so summery!

Astra Libris said...

Oh my goodness, these sound like the greatest chicken burgers ever, and I am a huge fan of chicken and turkey burgers!! I cannot wait to fix these sooooooon - they're the perfect summer food!! YOU ROCK! :-)

Anonymous said...

These chicken burgers look excellent - I love the spice!

stephchows said...

These look delicious!! And I totally agree about the need to run outside and grill :) My roomie and I moved into a townhouse in the fall and I'm LOVING the patio/deck/grill!! So much better than our last place :)

The Diva on a Diet said...

Dana - yay, another chicken burger fan!

Astra - aw, thanks! I hope you love them! And, really, you can flavor them any way you like ... as in more garlic for Zach. ;)

5 Star - thanks! You can certainly add more jalapeno if you like ... especially since they are often not as spicy as they should be.

Steph - luck you! I'm having grill-envy. LOL

Melissa Good Taste said...

Diva, Diva, Diva... your food and presentation always looks on point! Beautiful work!

The Diva on a Diet said...

Aw, Melissa, thank you so much. You've made me smile and made my day. :)

Tangled Noodle said...

We fired up the grill a couple of times already but the freakin' weather has turned back again to rainy, cold and dreary. >8-Z
I just need to take a 'cue (pun intended) from you and warm up the grill pan. These chick'n patties look great and I love it sans bread. The weather may not cooperate but nothing will stop me from trying these!

The Diva on a Diet said...

Tangled Noodle - I think we're about to get your rain ... for the next 5 days. Waah. I do hope you enjoy the chicken burgers, they are yummy. Happy, indoor, grilling! :)