Rachael's Daytime Talk Show
Chicken Caesar Burgers with Parmigiano Taters -- 08/28/07

Chicken Caesar Burgers with Parmigiano Taters

Ingredients

  • For the taters:
  • 1 sack frozen tater tots, waffle fries or your favorite frozen tater, any brand
  • A couple of handfuls of grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano cheese
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon grill seasoning (eyeball it)
  • For the dipping sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 1/2 small onion, grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • For the burgers:
  • 1 1/4 pounds ground chicken breast, the average weight of 1 package
  • 3 garlic cloves, 2 finely chopped, 1 cracked from skin
  • 4 anchovies, finely chopped (optional – but recommended)
  • A handful of Parmigiano Reggiano
  • Salt and coarse black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • A handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest plus juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 heart romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • 4 crusty rolls, split in half

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Step

Start the taters: Combine Parmigiano, salt, rosemary, hot pepper flakes and grill seasoning in a bowl. Pour four portions of taters onto a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake until almost crisp (about halfway through the cooking time on the package), then remove and sprinkle them with a handful of the cheese, tossing them a little to make sure they're coated, and then finish baking them off. Sprinkle them with cheese and herb mixture, tossing them around a bit so the mixture sticks. As the frost starts to melt, the flavorings will set into place.

Make the dipping sauce: Heat EVOO in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add grated onion (onion can be grated right over the pot) and garlic, and cook 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.

While the sauce is working, prepare the burgers: In a bowl, combine the chicken, finely chopped garlic, anchovies, a handful of cheese, a pinch of salt and a generous amount of pepper, Worcestershire, parsley and lemon zest. Mix the meat and form 4 oval-shaped, rather than round, burger patties.

Heat a large nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon of EVOO, a turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken patties and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Preheat the broiler and toast the bread on a cookie sheet or broiler pan. Once lightly golden in color, remove from oven and rub the breads with cracked garlic. Drizzle bread with the EVOO.

Step

Combine Dijon, lemon juice and 2-3 tablespoons of EVOO with salt and pepper, and toss the greens with it.

Place the patties on the bun bottoms and top them with a pile of romaine, sliced tomatoes and bun tops. Serve the burgers with the Parmigiano taters and a bowl with the dipping sauce alongside.