The long awaited summer is here is here! With summer come long leisurely days spent outdoors - in the garden, at the park, at the beach..... That brings with it picnics and barbecues. What better way to celebrate summer than with light bites, finger food, cold soups, fresh salads and barbecues. Last Saturday was July 4th, American Independence Day! I love this great country that I have the opportunity to call my home. On July 4th we are celebrated American style grilling salmon, chicken, beef and mushroom burgers and chicken hotdogs in the garden. It was a warm Houston evening and we cooled off with chilled beers and enjoyed interesting conversation with good friends. The chicken burgers were a hit and this week I am sharing my recipe for juicy chicken bugers with lavender sauce. Enjoy!
Chicken Burgers with a Lavender Sauce
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients (serves 4)
Chicken burgers
4 whole wheat flat breads
450 g/8 oz/0.5 lb chicken
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ small onion, diced
¼ teaspoon allspice, ground
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
4 slices onions, cut in rings
4 slices tomato, cut in circles
4 lettuce leaves
Lavender Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon culinary lavender flowers
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Method
Put the chicken, 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, onions, allspice, black pepper and salt in a food processor and mince (chicken can be bought already minced from the grocery store; in this case just mix the already minced chicken with the other ingredients).
Form the chicken into patties with a diameter of about 10 cm/4 in.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the chicken patties for about 5 minutes on each size (you can also cook the chicken patties over an open grill for 5 minutes on each side). You may want to cook the chicken patties for longer depending on your preferred doneness.
Combine all the ingredients for the lavender sauce in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
Place 1 lettuce leave and tomato slice over each flat bread, then top with a chicken patty, pour the lavender sauce over the chicken and top with an onion slice.
Fun facts: The inspiration to add a lavender sauce to this classic recipe came from a lavender festival I attended in Fredericksburg, Texas. The festival – held in spring every year in Fredericksburg, a lovely little German town in the Texas Hill Country with beautiful German-style cottages, German restaurants and lots of vineyards – features Hill Country wine and produce.