LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2020

CHICKEN ON A DIME

Chicken Thigh “Burger”

CHICKEN THIGHS 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime 2 cloves garlic, finely grated 1 ⁄ tsp (7 mL) chopped thyme 1 tsp (5 mL) salt Freshly ground black pepper TO ASSEMBLE 4 slices medium or smoked cheddar (optional) 4 so burger buns Selection of your favourite burger toppings and condiments 1 Turn your grill to medium, close the lid and bring the tem- perature to 350 F (180 C).

2 Get the smoky tomatoes started by halving the tomatoes length- wise. Add to a bowl along with vin- egar, sugar and spices. Season with salt and pepper and place cut-side up on the preheated grill. Close the lid and cook until so and slightly collapsed, about 20 minutes. 3 Meanwhile, open up the chicken thighs (they’re usually folded onto themselves in the package) and place in a medium bowl. Add the oil, lime zest and juice, garlic, thyme and salt. Season with black pepper to taste. Toss to evenly coat. 4 About 10 minutes before the tomatoes are done, add the chicken to the grill and cook for 10 to 12 min- utes, turning once halfway through, or until juices run clear. If using cheese, add a slice to each thigh about a minute before removing.

5 Dress your burger buns with your favourite condiments, and assemble sandwiches using 1 chicken thigh and 2 tomato halves per sandwich. Dress with your preferred toppings.

Your average boneless, skinless chicken thigh is the perfect size to sandwich between burger buns. And they beat, hands down, making your own patties out of sloppy, wet ground chick- en. There are two simple compo- nents to make, then you dress it all up with your favourite burger fixings. So, what you really have here is a chicken thigh sandwich in a custom-made burger suit. SMOKY TOMATOES 4 small plum tomatoes 2 tsp (10 mL) apple cider or rice vinegar 1 tsp (5 mL) brown sugar ⁄ tsp (2 mL) ground cumin 1 tsp (5 mL) ground ancho chili Pinch cayenne Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 sandwiches

WHAT TO SERVE

Smoky red berry notes in this light, dry red match the spices in the dish while a lively acidity cuts through the fattiness of the chicken. Angels Gate Gamay Noir VQA LCBO 107714, $14.95

CHICKEN THIGHS ARE MADE FOR THE GRILL. LIKE GOOD BEEF PATTIES, THE FAT RENDERS WHILE THEY COOK, MEANING YOU CAN GIVE THEM A GOOD CHAR AND KEEP THEM JUICY.

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SUMMER 2020 FOOD & DRINK