Who
says that grilling is just a summer staple activity? In my book, it’s done in cold weather,
too. All you need is a grilling
pan. Or, in our case, all we have is a grilling pan since we
live in an apartment and that is the closest thing to a grilling mechanism that
we can get our hands on. Besides, I love
to put my always reliable grilling pan to work when arctic temperatures are
still looming just to get a slim whiff of what warm weather would be like, or
better yet to trick myself into a summer state of mind!
These
homemade Chicken Burgers with
Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise are a year-round mouthwatering indulgence! They were without a doubt the best part of
this year’s Super Bowl. And the fact
that I cooked them on an outside grill, in freezing temperatures and a menacing
snow storm made them that much more delicious and the experience way more
exciting than the actual game. Bottom
line – my burgers were unbeatable, just like the Seattle Seahawks!
These
burgers will rock your house! They are
simply lip-smacking, piney and fresh, their pleasant lightness countered by the
garlicky richness of the mayonnaise. You
may think that adding a disturbing amount of garlic-rosemary mayonnaise mixture
to burgers is a despicable crime, but it works like a charm. The burgers are so juicy, dressed with big
flavors and nestled in between toasty challah buns smeared with more hefty
dollops of the sinful mayonnaise sauce and topped with crisp mixed greens. One word: phenomenal!
These
chicken burgers were my dinner of choice for the Super Bowl and, wait for it,
Valentine’s Day. I know, I know… a very
unconventional dinner option for such a holiday but it worked beautifully and
paired with this cake for dessert, it was truly unforgettable!
Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary
Mayonnaise
Adapted
from Giada de Laurentiis
Makes:
4 servings
Ingredients for Mayonnaise:
·
1 cup mayonnaise
·
Scant ¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves
·
1 clove garlic, minced
Ingredients for Burgers:
·
1 pound ground chicken
·
Heaped ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
·
¼ teaspoon black pepper
·
4 sandwich rolls or burger buns (I found that
challah buns work particularly well)
·
¼ cup olive oil
·
1 cup mixed greens, divided
Instructions for the Mayonnaise:
In a
small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, garlic, and rosemary. Set aside.
Instructions for the Burgers:
Preheat
a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat.
In a
large bowl, add the ground chicken, salt, pepper and half of the mayonnaise mixture. Using clean hands, gently combine the
ingredients and form the chicken mixture into 4 patties. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for
about 7 to 10 minutes on each side.
Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.
Brush
the cut side of each roll with the olive oil and about 1 teaspoon of the
mayonnaise mixture. Grill for 1 to 2
minutes until slightly golden.
Instructions to assemble the Burgers:
Spread
a dollop of the remaining mayonnaise mixture on the tops and bottoms of the
toasted buns. Place the chicken burgers
on the bottom halves of the buns. Top
each with ¼ cup of the mixed greens and finish with the top half of the
bun.
P.S.:
I’ll be back on March 25! It’s time for
our annual trip to Romania, so Adrian and I are off to see our families for the
next couple of weeks. I won’t be able to
post while away but I’ll return with stories and new recipes from good ol’
Transylvania! Until then…
Poftă
Bună! (Bon Appétit!)
