This burger actually originated from a gifted sauce…
It was about 8 months ago, we had just arrived in the uk and we got a message from a brand asking if they could send us a sauce to try. We weren’t expecting much (as we often get sauces sent to us and although almost always very tasty, 9 times out of 10 they lay forgotten at the back of a cupboard) BUT this sriracha caramel showed up and genuinely… knocked our socks off. (although it sounds like it, this is not a paid promo lol)
Sweet, spicy, and a flavour explosion - this sauce has played on our minds so much since then that we were like, “we need to make a version of this to go onto a burger!”
That’s how we dreamt up this one - the nuttiness from the sesame mayo, with the sweetness of the chicken paired with the fresh zingy punch of the cucumber salad…you really cant beat it.
The Glaze
This is a great one to make a little extra of for your cravings down the line.
Make the glaze at the beginning, it allows the ginger, garlic and dried chilli to infuse more into the sauce. Cook the glaze to a thin glaze, so that when you heat it up you don’t have to add to it. Think “runny-honey”. When you reheat the glaze, do it over low heat.
The Aioli
Something super important to note for this aioli recipe is regarding the temperatures of the ingredients. You must let the garlic confit to completely cool to room temperature before making the aioli. Hot and cold ingredients never mix well together when it comes to emulsions. Even using a cold egg from the fridge is a NO! Make sure you have one at room temp.
The mustard is the only exception.
Random one:
Before juicing lemons or limes, roll them firmly on a chopping board or hard surface. It breaks down the fibres inside, making them much easier to squeeze and helping you get more juice.
Also, a little culinary school tip: instead of cutting a lemon straight across the middle, slice off one round end at a time, avoiding the core. This way you get no seeds and less wasted juice. You’ll end up with two large “full moon” pieces, two rectangular pieces, and the core - where all the seeds are hiding.
Serves: 4-6
Sesame Burger Buns
Chicken Marinade
4–6 large boneless chicken thighs
500 ml buttermilk
1 egg
1 tbsp (15 ml) sriracha
2 tsp (10 ml) garlic powder
2 tsp (10 ml) onion powder
3 tsp (15 ml) Korean chilli powder
1 tsp (5 ml) MSG
1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce
2 tsp (10 ml) soy sauce
1 lime, juiced
Flour Dredge
100 g all-purpose flour
80 g cornflour
50 g rice flour
1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
2 tsp (10 ml) garlic powder
2 tsp (10 ml) onion powder
1 tbsp (15 ml) Korean chilli powder
1 tsp (5 ml) MSG
Garlic & Sesame Aioli
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and whole
100 ml neutral oil
25 ml sesame oil (combine with neutral oil — ½ cup / 125 ml total)
1 egg yolk, room temperature
2 tsp (10 ml) Dijon mustard
3 tsp (15 ml) rice wine vinegar
Large pinch salt
Small pinch white pepper
1½ tbsp (22.5 ml) toasted sesame seeds
Cucumber Salad
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
Small bunch coriander, chopped
2 tsp (10 ml) soy sauce
1 tsp (5 ml) fish sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice (fresh lime only)
½ tsp (2.5 ml) caster sugar
Honey Sriracha Glaze
60 ml honey
60 ml sriracha
45 ml chicken stock
1 tsp (5 ml) lime juice, to taste
Pinch of flaky sea salt
1–2 bird’s eye chillies, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp (5 ml) paprika
15 g butter, cold
Equipment
hand blender & cylindrical tall cup
basting brush
small roasting pot (400-600ml)
thermometer
Method
Preheat the oven to 120°C.
Marinate the Chicken
Add all the marinade ingredients to a bowl and whisk well. Submerge the chicken thighs, cover the bowl with cling film, and refrigerate for 1–24 hours.
Flour Dredge
In a large bowl, whisk all the ingredients together. Cover and set aside.
Garlic & Sesame Aioli
Confit the garlic: add the peeled garlic cloves to a small oven-safe pot, then pour over the neutral oil, sesame oil, and a pinch of salt. Cover with a lid or foil and cook in the oven for 60–90 minutes, until soft.
Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow the garlic and oil to cool completely to room temperature.
Lightly dry-toast the sesame seeds until golden and fragrant. Set aside.
Add the egg yolk, mustard, vinegar, salt, white pepper, cooled confit garlic, and cooled oil to a tall cylindrical cup. Place the hand blender at the bottom and blend without lifting. Once the mixture emulsifies, slowly lift the blender to incorporate the remaining oil.
Stir in the sesame seeds, then taste and balance with lemon juice, salt, and white pepper if needed.
Cucumber Salad
Add all the ingredients to a bowl or container and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, sugar, and lime juice as needed. You’re looking for a balanced flavour.
Honey Sriracha Glaze
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add a dash of neutral oil and sesame oil. Fry the garlic and chilli for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to medium-low and add the honey and sriracha.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5–8 minutes, or until reduced to a runny glaze consistency. Remove from the heat and cover slightly, leaving a gap to allow steam to escape. Reheat the glaze before brushing onto the chicken to loosen the texture.
Frying the Chicken
Heat a pot of oil over medium heat until it reaches 160°C.
Remove the chicken from the fridge and set up a station with the marinade, flour dredge, and a wire rack. Take the chicken out of the marinade, shake off excess liquid, and drizzle a little marinade into the flour dredge. Shake the bowl to create clumps.
Add the chicken to the flour and toss about 10 times, scrunching it into the flour to create crispy bits. Shake off excess flour and place on the wire rack. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Once the oil is at temperature, return the chicken to the flour for a second dredge, tossing and scrunching again. Shake off excess flour and carefully place into the hot oil.
Fry in small batches for about 5 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove and place back on the wire rack.
Increase the oil temperature to 190°C and fry the chicken again for 1–2 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp. Return to the wire rack.
Glazing
Reheat the glaze gently. Brush generously over the fried chicken until glossy.
Build the burger
Start with the sesame mayo, then add the glazed chicken and top it all of with the cucumber salad. Add a little more sesame mayo on the top bun, close her up and enjoy!
Hope you are having a Merry Christmas.
Lots of love
M & T
x
