Culture

I made up this recipe over the summer after I was inspired by a delicious Ferg Burger I ate. Ever since I made these for my family it has become one of Mum’s staple meals on the weekly rotation. My brother, who usually loves these burgers, actually complained about the frequency of their appearance on the weekly menu. For Mother’s Day, Mum and Dad were in Bora Bora and so my brother, his girlfriend and myself convened upon the family home and had a “family” dinner sans the parents. To celebrate the day of maternal appreciation I made these favourite burgers of hers (funnily enough, at my brother’s request).

I use chicken breasts and slice them into two thinner breast pieces then marinate them in a good sloshing of chipotle sauce and a bit of salt. Give it a good cooking in a frying pan along with some well-cooked bacon. Then slap that between two halves of a ciabatta bun along with some aioli, relish and a few rogue salad vegetables and you have yourself a winner of a sandwich.

Look down the international aisle for a good chipotle sauce. I like using the Culley’s one. I think these burgers tasted the best when I made them at my friend’s house using a charcoal barbecue. But this was back in summer so barbecuing is now not a thing, but keep this in mind when the sun returns to Dunedin in November.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 medium sized chicken breasts


• 4 slices of shoulder bacon


• 4 ciabatta rolls


• 3 tablespoons chipotle sauce


• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika


• A pinch of ground cumin


• ½ teaspoon salt


• Aioli, chipotle sauce, tomato chutney


• Lettuce, avocado, tomato and sliced red onion

Method

1. Slice the chicken breasts lengthways so that you have four thinner breast pieces.


2. Marinate the chicken in the chipotle sauce, smoked paprika cumin and salt.


3. Cook the chicken and bacon in a medium-to-high heat frying pan until the chicken is cooked through and nicely browned and the bacon is crisp.


4. Toast the ciabatta rolls and slather them with aioli, tomato chutney and a bit more chipotle. Fill the buns with the chicken, bacon and other salad ingredients.