Crispy Chicken Burger

Ingredients

• 2 large boneless chicken breasts (about 600 g), each sliced in half horizontally into 2 thin cutlets
• ½ cup plain yogurt, whisked
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1½ tsp salt, divided
• 1 tsp black pepper, divided
• 1 tsp garlic powder, divided
• 1 tsp paprika or Kashmiri chilli powder, divided
• 1 cup plain flour (maida)
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs, beaten with 2 tbsp of the marinade milk mixture
• 1½ cups dried breadcrumbs
• 700 ml vegetable or canola oil, for frying
• 4 burger buns
• 1 tbsp butter, softened, for toasting the buns
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp chilli garlic sauce or hot sauce
• 4 lettuce leaves, washed and dried
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced
• 8 pickle slices (gherkins)

Instructions

1. Whisk the yogurt, milk, lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, half the pepper, half the garlic powder and half the paprika in a bowl. Add the chicken cutlets, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. While the chicken marinates, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup and chilli garlic sauce in a small bowl. Chill until serving.
3. Set up three plates: on the first, mix the flour, cornflour, baking powder, remaining salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. On the second, put the beaten eggs. On the third, spread the breadcrumbs.
4. Lift a cutlet from the marinade and let the excess drip off. Press it into the flour, dip into the egg, then press firmly into the breadcrumbs until fully coated. Place on a rack and repeat with the rest.
5. Rest the coated cutlets on the rack for 10 minutes. This helps the crumbs stick during frying.
6. Heat the oil in a deep heavy pan to 170°C. If you have no thermometer, a pinch of breadcrumbs should sizzle steadily and float within a few seconds.
7. Fry two cutlets at a time for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp. The centre should reach 74°C or the juices should run clear when you cut into the thickest part.
8. Lift the cooked cutlets onto a clean wire rack and keep warm. Bring the oil back to 170°C, then fry the second batch the same way.
9. Spread butter on the cut sides of the buns and toast them in a dry frying pan over medium heat for about 1 to 2 minutes until golden.
10. Spread sauce on both halves of each bun. Layer lettuce, tomato, pickles and a hot cutlet on the base, add more sauce if you like, then close with the top bun and serve immediately.

Tips

• Slicing the breasts into thin, even cutlets means the chicken cooks through before the crust darkens too much.
• Keep one hand for the wet ingredients and one for the dry to avoid clumpy fingers and a patchy coating.
• Do not crowd the pan. Too many cutlets lower the oil temperature and make the crust greasy.
• Drain fried chicken on a wire rack, not paper towels, so the underside stays crisp.