The Route 66 Fried Chicken Burger, Wings and Things by David Turofsky and Ben Ford. Photography by Dan Jones.
From the award-winning and fried-chicken obsessed duo behind Wingmans, chef Ben Ford and David Turofsky, comes Wings and Things, a book that celebrates the glorious bird with some of the most mouth-watering, saucy, internationally-inspired variations on classic wings.
Recipes to savour include moreish favourites such as their multi-award-winning Buffalo Hot Sauce, Sweet and Smokey BBQ Wings, Korean Hot Sauce Wings with Fermented Black Bean, Pineapple and Black Sesame, Jamaican-Me-CrazyWings made firey with Scotch bonnet chillies, and Salt and Pepper Wings coated in five-spice and Szechuan salt.
Other chapters offer ways to make use of the other parts of a chicken so as to avoid waste—you’ll find 24-hour tea-brined whole chicken, Route 66 Fried Chicken Burger, and other recipes using the thighs and breast fillets.
Ben and David also show how easy it is to use wingtips and other bones to make the best possible chicken stock, and chicken skin to make unbelievably moreish ‘Crack Crumb’—a salty, irresistible topping made from crisped-up skin.
You’ll also find recipes to complete your chicken feast including sides, sharing plates, burgers, drinks and easy desserts. Spread your wings and master the art of cooking chicken wings to perfection!
Wings and Things: Sticky, Crispy, Saucy, Lip-Smacking Chicken Recipes is available at Amazon.com and Indigo.ca.
The Route 66 Fried Chicken Burger
Now, not all superheroes wear capes but all the boldest American-style chicken burgers wear these base ingredients: chicken, cheese, mayo and lettuce. With so few components, you may wonder what factors determine the best-tasting chicken burger, but it is simply down to the highest-quality ingredients.
The Route 66 is our take on the classic American chicken sandwich, using panko-breaded chicken thigh, gem lettuce, Monterey Jack cheese and pickles.
S E R V E S 4
100g (3⁄4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp celery salt
2 tsp white pepper
2 eggs
250g (6 cups) panko breadcrumbs
3 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2 or 3L (2 or 3qt) vegetable or rapeseed (canola) oil, for cooking
GARNISH
50ml (1⁄4 cup) red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp caster (granulated) sugar
1 red onion, sliced
100g (1 cup) Bread and Butter Pickles
(see page 184), or storebought, sliced
TO SERVE
4 sesame brioche buns, halved
50g (31⁄2 Tbsp) butter, melted
125g (scant 1⁄2 cup) Burnt Onion Jam (see page 183)
1 baby gem lettuce, leaves separated 150ml (2⁄3 cup) Buttermilk Ranch dressing (see page 183)
4 slices American cheese, such as Monterey Jack
Set up 3 separate bowls. In the first, combine the flour with all of the dry spices and seasoning. Crack the eggs into the second bowl and whisk until smooth. In the third bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs, salt and black pepper.
Trim the chicken thighs removing excess fat and any gristle from the meat. Pass the thighs through the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs. Set aside on a plate until needed—don’t do this too far in advance as the breadcrumbs will absorb the moisture in the chicken and the crust will not be as crumbly as required.
Add the red wine vinegar and sugar to the sliced red onions and set aside until soft and deep purple in colour.
Preheat a deep fryer to 170°C (340°F). Place the breaded thighs in the basket and lower slowly into the fryer. Cook for 8 minutes ensuring they hit 75°C (170°F) at the core of the thickest part of the thigh. If they don’t hit 75°C (170°F) after the first 8 minutes, continue cooking for a further minute.
To build the burger, toast the sliced buns in a dry frying pan (skillet) until lightly coloured. Brush with the melted butter and return to the pan until a deep golden colour. Add the onion jam to the bottom bun then add the lettuce. On the top bun spoon on the ranch dressing, being generous. As soon as the chicken thigh is cooked and golden, add a slice of American cheese and place it on top of the lettuce. Garnish with the pickled onions and the pickles. Top with the other half of the bun and give the whole thing a little squeeze. Best served with ice-cold beer and a couple of mates.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Quadrille Publishing.