Sarah Tuck and Claire Aldous have released a new cookbook titled *Dish Chook Book*, featuring a collection of fried chicken recipes, including a highlighted dish for Mexican Fried Chicken Burgers. This recipe combines crispy fried chicken thighs with a zesty coriander, chilli, and lime mayonnaise, complemented by fresh toppings to create vibrant flavor profiles.
The recipe serves six burgers and calls for ingredients such as boneless, skin-off chicken thighs marinated in Greek natural yogurt, ground cumin, smoked paprika, chilli powder, sea salt, and crushed garlic. The chicken pieces are flattened slightly, coated in a mixture of potato starch and plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper, and then fried in a neutral high-smoke-point oil like rice bran oil.
To prepare the coriander, chilli, and lime mayonnaise, ingredients including coriander leaves and tender stems, egg mayonnaise, green chillies, garlic, lime zest, and sea salt are blended until smooth and bright green. This mayo is intended to be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
During cooking, the coated chicken is fried in batches for 4 to 5 minutes until fully cooked and may be fried a second time briefly to achieve a super-crunchy texture. Excess batter is removed from the oil between batches using a sieve or slotted spoon. After frying, the chicken is drained on kitchen towels.
The burger assembly involves preparing a fresh slaw by tossing finely shaved red cabbage and thinly sliced red onion with extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and seasoning. Avocados are mashed gently with lime juice and salt to maintain some texture. Brioche burger buns are halved and toasted with grated mozzarella cheese melted on the bottom halves. The final burger is layered with slaw, avocado, fried chicken, mayonnaise, pickled jalapeño chillies, and fresh coriander leaves.
The recipe provides detailed preparation steps such as lining an oven tray with baking paper and a cooling rack with kitchen towels, and preheating the oven to 180°C with fan bake for toasting the buns.
This offering from Tuck and Aldous reflects a contemporary approach to fried chicken, blending traditional techniques with bold, fresh ingredients to elevate a classic comfort food into a richly flavored dish.