By Caren McSherry, Founder/President of The Gourmet Warehouse
A perfectly delightful morsel of chicken married with a combination of South East Asian flavours creates a small little burst of “more please”. This small bite will transform overused, under appreciated, and albeit rather boring chicken into a regular item on your party food list.
INGREDIENTS:
Free range chicken breast, minced (1lb)
Shallot, peeled and finely minced (1 large)
Kaffir lime leaf, spine removed, and finely minced (1)
Fish sauce (1 Tablespoon)
Chili paste (I prefer Côte d’Azur 2.0) (1 teaspoon)
Free range egg, lightly beaten (1 large)
Fresh chives, snipped (2 tablespoons)
Fresh cilantro, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
Tasted white sesame seeds for breading (1 cup)
Sweet Thai chili sauce for dipping, or chipotle mayonnaise (1 cup)
Lime wedges for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
- In a large bowl, place the minced chicken, shallot, kaffir lime, fish sauce, chili paste, egg, chives and cilantro.
- Mix well to ensure all the flavours are evenly distributed. Using a heaping tablespoon, shape into 24 small coins. Place the sesame seeds in a small dish and dredge the coins in the seeds to coat all sides. Once they are formed place them on a tray and chill for about 30 minutes.
- Heat a drizzle of grapeseed oil in a non stick pan, preferably a “Scan Pan” over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, cook the coins for about 2 minutes each side or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Line your serving dish with shredded radicchio and place the coins on top. Scatter the lime wedges around and serve the sweet Thai chili sauce on the side.
Makes 24 coins
NOTE: Kaffir lime leaf is available at specialty Asian markets. You can substitute lime rind in its place.
An alternative option is to coat half in white sesame seeds and half in black. The presentation is quite striking.
These can also be switched up to a main course and turned into a burger, given the great flavour profile, I would match this crispy Yam sticks.
Caren McSherry is the founder and owner of the Gourmet Warehouse, a specialty food and housewares emporium located at 1340 East Hastings Street in Vancouver. She attended several international culinary academies, including the Culinary Institute of America and Le Cordon Bleu, and, in 1978, opened her own cooking school. Caren has shared her culinary expertise with thousands of people, whether in person or on her regular Global TV and CKNW radio segments. She is an award-winning entrepreneur and bestselling author. This recipe is from her new cookbook, “Starters, Salads & Sexy Sides“.
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