Chicken Burgers

My method of cooking is very experimental and rough and ready and usually revolves around what ingredients I have in my kitchen. For this weeks Recipe Shed the gastronomic Keith, has asked us to share recipes that are MOREISH MAINS. Now I have had a sneaky look at the other entries and they are all a bit posh really, whereas my offering is simple and rustic and well umm made up and not at all elegant like those posh mains already linked up!!

My chicken burgers evolved one lunchtime when I realised my chicken thighs - no not a name I give to my own upper legs - were on their use by date and I had to think of a meal I could rustle up with whatever I had to hand. you will see that instead of breadcrumbs I am using weetabix -yes weetabix- it is now my prefered breadcrumb replacement in my meals ever since I included them in my fishcake recipe.

Ok so thats the excuses of this meal out of the way, I will now share it with you.

INGREDIENTS

4 free range chicken thighs fillets (you can of course use chicken breast or non free range meat. I allow 1 thigh per burger approx)

1/2 onions finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

large handful of herbs of your choice - i have used tarragon before but for this version I am using basil

black pepper (I don't use salt in my cooking but feel free to add some if you so wish)

2 weetabix (or equivalent in breadcrumbs)

TO SERVE

smoked bacon rashers

bread rolls

homemade rustic potato wedges

salad garnish

METHOD

Place your meat in a blender 

and blitz a few times to mush it up

add the onion, herb of choice, garlic, lemon juice and zest & black pepper 

and blitz until its all blended into one gooey mass

tip the mass of goo into a bowl and crumble in your weetabix or add your breadcrumbs and mix well.

 you shouldn't need an egg because the mixture is very moist already

take a dessert spoonful of burger mixture and make into a patty and place on to a slightly greased baking tray

Cook in an oven (180oC) for about 30-35 minutes ensuring the burger is cooked all the way through

meanwhile, as the burgers are cooking chop some potatoes, skin on, in to wedges and either drizzle with oil and bake in oven or use an acti-fry like I do

10 minutes before burgers are ready, grill some bacon 

then plate up and enjoy

if you have a toddler who wouldn't eat a mini version of this, you can make the burger into meatballs

 and serve with a hidden vegetable & tomato sauce and pasta