Nisha Katona’s crunchy nut chicken burger
Nisha’s shaking up the humble burger by bringing her signature bold flavours to this Friday fakeaway. With a Crunchy Nut coating for the crispiest chicken, this is the ultimate end of the week treat.
Nisha Katona’s Crunchy Nut Chicken Burger
Serves: 4
Ingredients
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts300ml/10 ½ fl oz/ 1 ¼ cups buttermilk100g/ 3 ½ oz/ generous ¾ cup plain/ all-purpose flour2 tsp garlic granules 2 tsp mild chilli powder2 eggs, beaten200g// 7oz honey nut cornflakes Neutral oil, for fryingFor the pickles:4-6 radishes, finely sliced2 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tsp honeyA pinch of saltFor kecap mayo:4 tbsp mayo2 tbsp kecap manis1 tbsp peanut butter1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice¼ red chilli, deseeded and finely diced5mm/ ¼ in piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and gratedSea salt
To serve:4 brioche burger bunsLettuce leavesCucumber
Method
1. Slice each chicken breast into three or four thick strips - we are going for maximum crispy coverage here, which will be better achieved with more pieces than a whole breast. Put them in a bowl and add the buttermilk along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Leave to marinate for a few hours in the refrigerator to tenderise the chicken, but let it come to room temperature for 20 minutes before coating and cooking.
2. To make the pickles, put the radishes in a small bowl with the rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon water. Add the honey and salt, stir together, then leave to pickle for at least 30 minutes - or a few hours (in the refrigerator) if you want them to go completely pink, which looks great.
3. For the kecap mayo, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, adding more lemon juice and salt to taste.
4. Once the chicken has marinated, set up a production line. Put the flour on a plate, mix in the garlic and chilli powder, and season well with salt and pepper. Put the beaten eggs in a shallow bowl. Crush the cornflakes into smaller pieces, but not completely to crumbs, and put them on another plate. Remove a piece of chicken from the buttermilk and shake it to remove any excess liquid. Dip it first in the flour, then in the egg and finally in the cornflake crumbs, making sure it is completely covered at every step. Repeat to coat all of the chicken pieces.
5. Heat a 1.5cm/ ⅔ in depth of oil in a sauté pan or deep frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, fry the chicken pieces for a couple of minutes on each side until golden and crispy and cooked through. You will probably need to cook them in batches. Drain the pieces on paper towels while you cook the next batch.
6. To assemble your burgers, halve the brioche buns and lightly toast the cut sides on a hot dry griddle/ grill pan or frying pan. Spread the base of the buns with a little of the kecap mayo, then layer up with lettuce leaves, cucumber slices, pickles and chicken pieces. Drizzle a little more mayo over the chicken, then pop the lids on the buns and enjoy.