I present to you my new favourite summer burger, which has been on our menu at home ever since its arrival in my kitchen. It’s one of those recipes where the ease is almost embarrassing. How can something so delicious be so straightforward? The burgers themselves are a simple food processor job; if you don’t have one, use chicken mince and make sure you really mix in the curry paste and courgette by hand. The accompaniments are also key: the lime-pickled shallots, the abundance of herbs and the creaminess of the mayo all work so well together. Turn up to a barbecue with a tray of these and I guarantee you’ll be dishing out the recipe in no time.
Red curry chicken and courgette burgers
Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Makes 4
3 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
Sea salt and black pepper
2 limes
500g skinless and boneless chicken thighs
1 courgette (about 250g), trimmed and coarsely grated
2 tbsp red Thai curry paste
4 burger buns
4 tsp chilli jam
4 tbsp mayonnaise, to serve
½ 25g bunch each fresh coriander and mint, leaves picked
Put the sliced shallots in a small bowl and season with a good pinch of sea salt. Squeeze over the juice of one and a half limes, toss and set aside to pickle.
Roughly chop the chicken thighs and put them in a food processor with the grated courgette and a third of the lime-dressed shallots. Blitz until the chicken is minced, then add the curry paste, season well and blitz again until smooth. Wet your hands and shape the mixture into four even-sized balls (if you are preparing them in advance, cover and store in the fridge.
When you’re ready to cook, light the barbecue or put a griddle pan on a high heat. Smash the burgers either before you put them on the barbecue/griddle, or directly in the pan/on the grill, then cook for about five minutes on each side, until cooked all the way through.
Meanwhile, cut the buns in half horizontally and toast for a minute on the cut side only. When the burgers are ready, baste each one with a teaspoon of chilli jam, so they’re sticky and glossy on the outside, then cook for a minute more.
Spoon mayonnaise on the cut side of the bottoms of the buns, top with the cooked burgers, then finish with the picked herbs and the remaining lime-dressed shallots. Top with the bun lids and tuck in.