Serves: 4

As we count down the weeks in single digits to the arrival of baby #4 – the first girl in the Beerworth family after Nat of course – Nat and I are carving out more and more time during the week to be together, preparing the house and hopefully, fitting in a late lunch to talk through the logistics and fun coming up.

Last Friday was sunny, we had new plants to pot, the cleaner had almost finished and it was time to regroup and walk-through the slimming running sheet of things to be done.

Enter, this incredible burger (plated on a toasted wholemeal baguette).

I initially chose this recipe – from the always reliable RecipeTinEats – because I needed something I could prepare in advance and then complete on the BBQ with a small outdoor kitchen. The cleaner in the house, remember?

I’m giving almost full credit here to RecipeTinEats. This is a very, very good marinade and pink sauce.

Indeed, Tom – our 12-year old – wants charcoaled chicken wraps for both himself and his friends for an upcoming sleepover to celebrate birthday #13 and I am definitely doing this marinade, minus maybe a chilli or two. Maybe on skewers over charcoal next time, rather than just on the BBQ?*

My addition of bacon, cheese and avocado though, took this burger to the LOADED level.

And nothing ever tastes better than on a toasted baguette.

I don’t eat much fast food though if you told me this was a limited-time burger – let alone their signature dish – I would not have doubted it.

Perfect heat. Perfect crunch. Just bloody wonderful.

Nat and I keep talking about honing in on a signature sandwich for both of us.

I’m a poached chicken and herbed-mayo slaw on a Vienna sort of guy and that is a sandwich I’m going to get right.

In the meantime, I’ll take this burger/baguette.

Bloody great.

(I have adapted this recipe to how we cooked it.)

Ingredients

Peri-Peri Sauce/Marinade

1 – 3 birds eye chillies (I used 3)
1 large red capsicum
5 garlic cloves
3 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp malt vinegar
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
Black pepper

Pink Sauce

3 tbsp Peri Peri Sauce (above)
1/2 c whole egg mayonnaise
1/4 c sour cream

Burgers

1 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken thighs
8 rashers of bacon
1 avocado
4 slices of cheddar cheese
2 tomatoes
Lettuce of choice
Baguette, cut into fours and sliced horizontally

Method

1. Place the Peri Peri Sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour 1/2 c into a ziplock bag with the chicken and marinate overnight.
2. Mix together 3 tbsp of the Peri Peri Sauce together with the Pink Sauce ingredients. Set aside/refrigerate.
3. Toast the baguettes and fry the bacon.
4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a fry-pan or BBQ. Add the chicken and cook each side for 4 – 5 minutes until golden brown. Cover and rest for 5 minutes.
5. To make the burgers/baguette, smother one side of the bread with pink sauce and the other with a quarter of the avocado. Slice the chicken and layer chicken, cheese, tomato and lettuce.
6. A beer not essentially though recommended!

* Whether you cook the chicken in a skillet or over flames, get as much char on it as you can.