Crispy Chicken Burgers With White Slaw

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thigh fillets, butterflied and bashed to 1.5cm thick
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 brioche burger buns, split
• 4 slices cheddar
• 200 g white cabbage, finely shredded
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp American mustard
• 2 pickled gherkins, thinly sliced
• 4 leaves little gem lettuce

Method

1. Season the bashed chicken thighs all over with the garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, a good pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Press the spices in so they cling.
2. Tip the shredded cabbage into a bowl with 2 tbsp of the mayonnaise, the white wine vinegar and a pinch of salt. Toss until every strand is coated — it should taste sharp and creamy. Set aside so the cabbage softens slightly.
3. Stir the remaining 1 tbsp mayonnaise with the ketchup and American mustard to make a glossy, pale-orange burger sauce.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Lay in the chicken and cook for 4–5 minutes a side, undisturbed, until deeply golden and crusted with spice. In the final minute, drape a slice of cheddar over each thigh and cover the pan so the cheese melts down the sides.
5. Lift the chicken onto a board to rest. Drop the brioche buns cut-side down into the hot pan and toast for about 1 minute, until burnished and smelling of caramelised butter.
6. Build them up: burger sauce slathered on both halves, a little gem leaf on the base, the cheesy chicken on top, a generous heap of white slaw, then the sliced gherkins fanned across. Crown with the lid, press down gently so the sauce runs, and eat immediately while the cheese is still molten.