Hey folks,

Hope you’ve had a superb week?

Was a busy one at work for me, just one thing after another – so, the weekend could not have been more welcome.

Oh. And don’t even get me started on the pollen. Fellow hay fever sufferers: I feel your pain. It was so bad at the start of the week, I felt like a walking, talking snot ball, but thankfully, it seems to be easing off a tad now. I’m almost glad it’s been raining practically all month because it washes the pollen out of the air. Silver linings and all. I’m calling it the “June monsoon.”

This week I’m sharing another burger recipe – we’re bit obsessed in my house.

Four magical words:

Pulled.

Chipotle.

BBQ.

Chicken.

Seriously, just look at it, doesn’t it make you want to lick your screen?!

We’re talking a heap of perfectly slow-cooked, succulent, pulled chicken cooked in a smokey, spicy chipotle and BBQ sauce, housed in a buttery toasted brioche bun, paired up with a slice of cheese, a pile of crunchy pickled red cabbage and gherkins.

Phwoar.

I’ve had a few pulled chicken burgers at restaurants now, but this particular specimen, it definitely sits right on top of the rankings table. I seem to have hit the bulls eye the first time round!

I served it up with some boiled, buttered sweetcorn and some oven baked chips. But in all honesty, it’s so good, you don’t even really need sides.

Make this ASAP folks – you’ll be so glad you did!

-Kay

Ingredients:

• 6 bread rolls, I used brioche
• 4 chicken breasts
• 375ml BBQ sauce, I used Sweet Baby Ray’s which is my new fave at the moment
• 3 tablespoons chipotle hot sauce, I used Cholula’s
• 3 dried chipotle chilies, soaked in hot water then chopped into small chunks
• 1 tsp mustard
• 2 tbsp honey
• Olive oil
• Small white onion, diced
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled, whole
• Soured cream
• Cheese slices
• 1/2 red cabbage
• Lemon
• Gherkins

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to gas mark 3.
2. Prepare your sauce by mixing together BBQ sauce, chipotle hot sauce, chopped chipotle chilies, mustard and honey.
3. Place a casserole dish (I have this Pyrex Pyroflam one) on a medium heat and drizzle in some olive oil before adding your onions. Cook till just softened.
4. Meanwhile, season your chicken breasts generously on both sides.
5. One by one, add them to the casserole dish, just sealing the chicken (don’t worry about cooking through!)
6. Add all the chicken breasts back into the pan, top with your prepared chipotle BBQ sauce and six cloves of garlic and stir to combine, ensuring each chicken breast is properly covered in sauce.
7. Place the lid on top and then pop the dish into the oven for an hour and a half.
8. At about the half way mark, chop up your red cabbage into nice thin slices, add the juice of two lemons, a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of salt. Mix well to combine and set aside to let the flavours mingle.
9. When done, take the casserole dish out of the oven and take out the chicken. Place the pieces on a chopping board and using two forks, pull it apart. Reserve the whole garlic cloves.
10. In the meantime, place the dish back on the heat and cook down the sauce till it reduces by nearly a half in volume.
11. This is a good time to prep your burger –
    1. slice your rolls in half and toast the middles on a frying pan with a bit of butter
    2. to the bottom half add a teaspoon of soured cream and spread evenly before topping with a slice of cheese
    3. press your garlic clove and smear it over the top of the roll, top with a couple of slices of gherkins
12. Once your sauce is done, place the pulled chicken back in and stir well to combine. Heat through before topping your bottom half of the roll with a generous heap of chicken, a pile of pickled red cabbage and the prepared bun lid.