Caramelized Onion & Avocado Chicken Burgers with Chive Risotto Cakes

For all you beef enthusiasts (and I include the GF in this category who has a self-proclaimed “meat tooth”) who have been hesitant to try chicken or turkey burgers, give this sandwich a taste and you’ll no longer be on the fence. You’ll be fully on my side of it.

I bought raw chicken burgers which were mixed with Parmesan & parsley (though it’s easy enough to start with ground chicken and stir in some simple seasonings). While these ingredients certainly add to the taste, I wanted to significantly boost the flavor so I seasoned the burgers with a pre-made grill seasoning mix. I grilled the burgers, topped them with caramelized onions (I keep saying they are amazing on almost anything) and some fresh avocado slices. As always, good, toasted bread is key to enhancing any sandwich. I opted to stick with my go-to sandwich bread of choice – ciabatta. It’s this easy to take a standard turkey/chicken burger from “eh” to “oooh.”

These chicken burgers are nicely dressed up and great on their own, but I wanted to pair them with something beyond the expected side of fries. You know…something that would impress a bit. I landed on Chive Risotto Cakes, courtesy of The Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) and can’t wait until the next time I make these. They’re crispy, cheesy, unexpected and absolutely amazing.

INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKEN BURGER: 
- Chicken burger(s)
- Ciabatta bread
- Avocado(s)
- Caramelized onions (Can be cooked ahead of time - See ingredients & recipe found in Chicken Quesadilla post)
- Burger seasonings of your choice (I used Weber Grill Seasoning: Smoky Mesquite, but feel free to use anything you like)

INGREDIENTS FOR RISOTTO CAKES:
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 extra-large eggs
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
- 1 1/2 cups grated Italian fontina cheese (5 ounces) (Fontina was a bit too expensive for my taste so I opted for shredded mozzarella which worked out well. Next time I might see how a sharper cheese like Jack turns out)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
- Good olive oil

DIRECTIONS FOR CHICKEN BURGERS:
Season chicken burgers with preferred grilling seasonings. Caramelize onions, grill burgers, slice avocados, toast ciabatta and assemble. Piece of cake. (Mmm cake…)

DIRECTIONS FOR RISOTTO CAKES:
Bring a large (4-quart) pot of water to a boil over medium-low heat and add 1/2 tablespoon salt and theArborio rice. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. The grains of rice will be quite soft. Drain the rice in a sieve and run under cold water until cool. Drain well.

Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, chives, fontina, 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper in a medium bowl. Add the cooled rice and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, until firm.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Spread the panko in a shallow dish. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Form balls of the rice mixture using a standard (2 1/4-inch) ice-cream scoop or a large spoon. Pat the balls into patties 3 inches in diameter and 3/4-inch thick. Place 4 to 6 patties in the panko, turning once to coat. Place the patties in the hot oil and cook, turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side until the risotto cakes are crisp and nicely browned. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and keep warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Continue cooking in batches, adding oil as necessary, until all the cakes are fried. Arrange on a serving platter and serve hot.

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chive-risotto-cakes-recipe/index.html

About Me: http://zacksmithishungry.blogspot.com/2012/09/about-me.html