Curried Chicken Burgers with Quick Mango Chutney

It’s mango season! During this time of year mango trees are literally dropping fruit at your feet. Monkeys, parrots, iguanas, butterflies, & humans feast on them and yet, if you’re lucky enough to have a nearby tree or two, you’ll still find yourself actually tripping over fallen mangoes. Don’t let that fruit go to waste. If you don’t have a tree handy you can buy them cheaply at the supermarket, the farmers market, or off the back of a truck.

Here’s a quick recipe for Mango Chutney that will last about a month refrigerated & goes great on Curried Chicken Burgers (below). Make the chutney before you start the burgers so it has time to cool to room temperature.

Quick Mango Chutney

Ingredients

• 2 or 3 firm, ripe mangoes
• 1/3 C light brown sugar (tapa de dulce)
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp salt
• 2/3 C water
• ¼ C raisins
• 2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbs cold water
• ½ tsp mustard seed
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 Tbs fresh lemon or lime juice

Method

1. Seed, peel, and cut mango into ¼” pieces
2. Combine the sugar, cumin, pepper flakes, salt, water, raisins and mango.
3. Bring to a boil and cook partially covered over med-high heat for 6 minutes.
4. Slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture and while stirring continuously, cook until it thickens. Then remove from heat.
5. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and cook for 10 seconds.
6. Add the hot mustard seeds and lemon/lime juice to the mango and mix well.
7. Serve at room temperature. Will last 4 weeks refrigerated.

Curried Chicken Burgers (makes 4)

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken (available at the Saturday Farmers Market)
• 1 C fresh bread crumbs
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 2 mushrooms, finely diced
• ¼ C green onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ Tbs fresh ginger, grated
• ¼ C culantro (cilantro), chopped leaves and stalks
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 Tbs curry powder
• 1 tsp chilero or pepper sauce
• 1 egg
• ½ – 1 C panko bread crumbs
• sliced Swiss or Emmenthal cheese
• 1 Tbs oil for frying

Method

1. Sauté the mushrooms and onions in the oil for 3 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more.
3. Add the culantro and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool.
4. Combine the chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, curry powder, salt, chilero, and mushroom mixture and mix well by hand. Note: The chicken mixture will be very moist and loose. Working with it is a messy process that takes a little practice.
5. Divide the mixture into four and pile each quarter in the middle of a 6”X6” square of wax paper.
6. Spread the Panko evenly in a pie plate.
7. This part is a bit tricky & takes a delicate touch. Very gently turn one of the piles of chicken into the Panko and pat it down into the Panko to coat one side. Using your finger tips, flip the chicken over and pat down to coat the other side. Still using your finger tips transfer the chicken back to the waxed paper and finish forming it into a burger shape.
8. Repeat for the other three burgers. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. This will help to firm them up a little before cooking.
9. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a med-high heat. Pick each burger up by the waxed paper, flip it into your hand, and gently slid it into the oil.
10. Cook each side for 3 minutes.
11. Add the sliced cheese, cover the pan, and cook 1 minute more. The burger will become firm as it cooks and should finish almost as solid as a beef burger.  Make sure the center is not soft (uncooked) before removing.
12. Top with mango chutney and serve on a large bun.