This recipe is from ACE Bakery out of Toronto. It opened in 1993 as an artisan bakery creating hand-made, European-style rustic breads. It is now one of North America’s leading artisan bakeries, ACE Bakery. The gentle shaping of each loaf, long fermentation periods, and a stone deck oven all work to create exceptionally flavourful bread with a pleasing texture and crisp crust. The breads contain no preservatives and are made with the simplest, natural ingredients. ACE Bakery’s baguettes and artisan breads are available at hundreds of places including restaurants, hotels, caterers, grocery and gourmet food shops (including Loblaws) across Canada, throughout the United States, and as far away as Bermuda.
Indian-style chicken burger with chutney and raita
Makes 3 regular-sized burgers or 6 mini-burgers
This light, delicious burger is a favourite at ACE Bakery. Try serving it with steamed corn covered in butter and sprinkled with a little chili powder and lime juice, a simple green salad and Indian beer. Finish with sliced melon drizzled with honey and lemon. You can also serve it open-faced on a thick slice of grilled bread. Raita, an Indian condiment made with yogurt, is perfect used as a topping. This recipe is from The ACE Bakery Cookbook by Linda Haynes.
- 1 lb. (450 g) minced chicken
- 1 large clove garlic, very finely minced
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ½ tsp. (2 ml) curry powder
- Up to 1 cup (250 mL) fine, dry breadcrumbs made from white or Calabrese bread
- ¾ tsp. (4 ml) kosher salt
- ½ tsp. (2 ml) freshly ground white or black pepper
Toppings
- ¼ cup (60 ml) mango chutney
- 1 large handful of mixed greens (avoid stronger flavoured greens such as arugula as they will overpower the chicken)
3 burger rolls, 6 small dinner rolls or 3 thick slices white, country white, Calabrese or ciabatta bread
Raita
- 1 cup (250 ml) 2% or 4% yogurt
- 1 tsp. (5 ml) ground cumin
- 1 5-inch (12.5-cm) piece English cucumber, seeded and coarsely grated
- 1 small tomato, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 to 2 tsp. (5 to 10 ml) minced fresh mint (optional)
- 2 grinds of white pepper
Place the minced chicken in a bowl. Add the garlic, egg, curry powder, ½ cup (125 ml) of breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Mix together. The chicken should be quite moist and just loosely bound. Add more breadcrumbs if necessary.
Shape into 3 patties or 6 mini-patties. They will feel sticky and be more delicate than minced beef. Make a small indentation about the size of a quarter in the middle of each burger to ensure a flat cooked burger, not one that all your condiments will slide off.
Brush the patties with vegetable oil and grill the large ones for approximately 5 to 6 minutes per side or until cooked through. The mini-patties will take approximately 3½ to 4 minutes per side.
Assembly
Toast or heat the burger buns. Spread the chutney on the bottom part of the bun. Place the greens on the chutney. Put the hot burger on the lettuces. Spoon the raita over the chicken and top with the other half of the bun.
If using bread, lightly grill or toast the bread and build the open-faced sandwich on a single slice in the same way.
Raita
If you have time, drain the yogurt for up to 1 hour, to thicken. Lightly toast the cumin in a dry frying pan at medium-high for about 30 seconds. Pat the grated cucumber dry with a paper towel. Add the cucumber, tomato, mint (if using) and white pepper to the yogurt and mix. Keep cool until serving time.
Cook’s Tip
The raita can be made the day before and held in the refrigerator, but you may have to drain off some liquid. The burgers can also be made beforehand, but bring them to room temperature before cooking.
