Crunchy Chipotle Chilli Chicken with Green Slaw and Caramelised Pineapple
A few years ago in Dublin, I was commissioned to work on a US Burger King advert for an advertising agency based in New York. They were using an Irish celebrity in the advert - hence why it was shot in Ireland. I was hired to food style all the chicken burgers for the shoot. Akak, I had to make about 90 deep-fried chicken burgers, and my only point of reference was a photo of the burger, which was only on sale in the US then.
A month or two later, I was asked to cook, style, and shoot another print ad campaign for a client who also wanted a similar-looking chicken burger. So, let's say I worked out, via a LOT of practice and batter all over my kitchen and hands, how to make the ultimate-looking deep-fried piece of chicken breast!
Recently, I've been working on a sideline site for this food blog, which focuses on beautiful packaging and good graphic design in the food, beverage and homewares industries. I will post more on this and link the new site to this one in the coming days.
As part of this new site, What Katie Curates, I have been buying and testing various foods and drinks and a plethora of other lovely foodie-related items that have caught my attention. I have spent hours trawling the internet to source local and international brands whose marketing and design are worthy of mention and pushing the level of creativity and design in the food packaging world.
This recipe features one of the hot sauces I purchased, Danny Balboas, and the one which inspired me to make this chicken burger.
“Danny Balboa’s Sauce Co is all about making things bloody delicious. Our hot sauces and spice rubs are made to be shared with friends and family, whether that means entertaining half the neighbourhood or making a midweek meal something worth gathering round the table for. We’re guaranteed to deliver serious flavour with unserious vibes.
Our products are locally and lovingly made in Melbourne, in small batches to obsessively tested recipes. We started up in 2017, and we’ve won a bunch of awards since then, so we
know our stuff when it comes to cooking up damn good food. We know our suppliers, we know where our ingredients come from, we know our customers expect us to bring the heat, and the good times.
Our founders, Dan and Nat, believe sharing food is a way of communicating. Sometimes food says: “Hey groovers, let’s party!” Sometimes it says: “Sorry you’re having a rough day. Do you need a cuddle?” And sometimes, it’s all: “Oi, you already share these tasty treats with your mates, why not turn it into a business so everyone’s invited to the party?””
FOR THE CHICKEN MARINADE
8-10 Chicken thighs
2 cups Greek Yoghurt
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp squeezy garlic/minced garlic
Juice + zest of 1 large lime
2 tbsp chipotle sauce – I used Danny Balboas
1 heaped tsp ground cumin + dried oregano
2 heaped tsp cocoa powder
FOR THE SEASONED FLOUR
3 cups/750g plain flour
2 heaped tbsp ground cumin
2 heaped tbsp dried oregano
1 heaped tsp cayenne pepper, garlic powder + onion powder
FOR THE SLAW
6 BABY QUIRK CUCUMBERS, THINLY SLICED
4 SCALLIONS, TRIMMED + WASHED, THINLY SLICED
1 MILD GREEN CHILLI, THINLY SLICED
1/4 RED CABBAGE, THINLY SLICED
6 PLUMP BRUSSELL SPROUTS, ROOT END REMOVED, THINLY SLICED
1 LARGE GRANNY SMITH APPLE, THINLY SLICED AND CUT INTO THIN MATCHSTICKS
HANDFUL CORIANDER LEAVES, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
2 TBSP APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
1 TBSP GOOD QUALITY OLIVE OIL
for the caramelise pineapple
1 fresh pineapple, skin and core removed, thinly sliced into 1cm thick strips
2 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 cup water
FOR THE CHIPOLE MAYO
3 TBSP MAYO
2 TSP SOUR CREAM
1 tbsp chipotle sauce – I used Danny Balboas
juice 1 lime
You will also need
500ml rice bran oil or peanut/vegetable oil
Crushed sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
BRIOCHE ROLLS
To prepare the chicken and marinade, trim all excess fat from each thigh. Cut each thigh into three pieces lengthways. Set aside.
Combine all marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Combine thoroughly using a whisk. Add the trimmed chicken pieces and coat well. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and place in the fridge for 2-4 hours.
To prepare the seasoned flour, combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and divide into two large bowls.
Lay out a few sheets of tin foil, topped with a paper towel, on your kitchen benchtop. This will allow the battered chicken to rest and make it easier to clean up afterwards.
To make this next stage less messy and to prevent batter-covered hands, you will need two pairs of kitchen tongs and a large spoon.
Drop the marinaded chicken (Note: I do this three pieces at a time) into the first bowl of seasoned flour using the first set of tongs. Using a large spoon, thoroughly toss the chicken pieces around in the flour until they are really well coated. Place the coated chicken on the prepared paper towel using your second set of tongs. Repeat with all the chicken pieces.
You now need to repeat the process again. Transfer the coated and floured back into the yoghurt/milk combo and then back into the second bowl of flour. The double coating gives the final cooked chicken a fantastic crunch and texture.
Heat your oil in a large, heavy frying pot until a test of the batter sizzles once added. Fry each piece of battered chicken in three batches until golden brown - approximately 10-12 minutes.
Serve with extra hot sauce and accompaniments of your choice or, as my suggestion - as burgers, 'Chicken Sandwiches' as chicken burgers seem more commonly called now. If you go with the latter - see below for my recipe for the chipotle sauce and a really, very good slaw.
To make the slaw, combine all the sliced ingredients in a mixing bowl and coat well with the vinegar and oil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To make the chipotle mayo, combine all ingredients and season to taste as above.
To make the caramelised pineapple, heat a griddle pan over medium/high heat and spray it with olive oil. When hot, lay the sliced pineapple on the pan and sprinkle with the caster sugar and water. Fry over medium heat until lightly browned and caramelised.
Serve crunchy chicken on brioche rolls with chipotle mayo, sliced slaw, caramelised pineapple, and an extra drizzle of hot sauce (optional).