(Fairly) Fast and (Better For You) Food

So after a brilliant Halloween that had me and my friends traipsing all over Stirling, attempting to find somewhere that possessed decent tunes and a licensed bar that wouldn’t have us queuing for an hour to get into, the next day I was in possession of an ever so slightly delicate head. Normally this is remedied with a quick trip to McD’s, but living on campus has somewhat stunted this tradition (not to mention my car is in ‘Muchty and slightly poorly). The campus shop had also disappointed me with its lack of chicken supernoodles (seriously, what is that all about? Neon noodles with a hint of artificial chicken are the only ones worth stocking Nisa). So me and Nicola made the (somewhat bad decision) to hit the atrium burger bar, in the hopes their £3.85 burger meal would contain enough salt and grease to get me through Advanced Reporting.

Alas it was not to be. Sodexo’s attempt to bring the students of Stirling tasty fast food fell flatter than my attempts at a fat-less sponge (more on that in an upcoming post). Never before have I seen a burger so burnt that hadn’t been ‘cooked’ on a BBQ. Said burger was having a great time swimming in a  strange concoction of mayo and ketchup, all housed in a roll that was the size of a small dinner plate. Couple that with the depressing sliver of lettuce that had given up on life about a week ago, and you have the standard offering from the food outlet.

Naturally, I was upset and annoyed having shelled out for something so gross when I could have made something far better with less money. So please don’t make the same mistake as me and instead make some breadcrumbs, fire up the frying pan and create the ultimate chicken burger.

 

Serves 1 (easily doubled)

 

You Will Need

 

1 chicken breast, skin removed

1oz (25g) plain flour

1 egg, beaten

A large handful of breadcrumbs (to make, simply blitz some stale bread in a blender. White or brown bread is fine)

A small handful of grated parmesan

Salt and pepper

1-2 large floury potatoes (I love Roosters)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped (alternatively, use 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary)

Rolls, mayo and lettuce to serve

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200oc/180oc fan/Gas Mark 4. Slice the potatoes into fairly chunky chips (about 1cm thick). Add to a pan of cold water with a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil.
  2. Once boiled, drain and place onto an oiled baking sheet. Drizzle over the olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Add the rosemary and make sure each chip is coated well. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.
  3. After 20 minutes has passed, take out the chips and turn. Place back into the oven for a further 20 minutes. Meanwhile, take out three plates or bowls. In one, add the beaten egg, another the flour and the third the breadcrumbs and parmesan. On a chopping board, flatten the chicken breast with a rolling pin. Then dip into the flour, making sure it’s coated well, then the egg and finally the breadcrumb mix.
  4. Heat a frying or griddle pan under a medium to high heat. Drizzle over a little oil. Add the chicken breast and fry for around 5 minutes on each side until cooked through. If your chicken burger still needs longer, simply place on the tray with the chips and the heat from the oven will finish it off. To serve, place in a bun spread with mayo, add the lettuce and plate up with the chips.

P.S I dressed up as the Black Swan. Like the costume?

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