Make it nice 'n' spicy with a Cajun classic

Apr 27 2008 Michael Kilkie

I've an American classic for you this week - a black and blue burger - which is one of my favourites from the United States.

It's basically a burger with blackened Cajun spice and garnished with blue cheese - hence the name.

Rather than a beef burger, I've gone for chicken, which works really well with Cajun spices.

For a larger burger, take a whole chicken breast and butterfly it.

To do this, you need a sharp knife to cut through the chicken breast - but not the whole way.

Leave it connected at one side, then open it out so you have one large thinner breast.

For a smaller burger, cut all the way through and get two from each breast.

You could simply dust the chicken with the dry mix of Cajun spice and cook it.

But I like to make it into a wet marinade and leave the chicken in it overnight to take on the flavours.

If you can't leave it overnight, at least try to give it a few hours in the marinade. Making it is easy: simply add oil, lemon or lime juice and fresh coriander to the Cajun spice and mix well.

For the blue bit of the burger, you could just add blue cheese on its own but I find it a little overpowering.

To mellow the flavour a little, mix the blue with a cream cheese, such as Philadelphia.

Beat them together, adding as much blue as you like.

Any types of blue cheese will do but I like the Italian ones, such as dolcelatte and gorgonzola.

French varieties, such as Roquefort and Saint Agur, are really tasty too.

If you don't want ciabatta for the bun, use a traditional sesame seed one.

It's up to you.

I've also added sliced plum tomatoes and gem lettuce - the kind you find in Caesar salads - for flavour and a bit of crunch.

I serve it with my chunky homemade chips (see left).

For great chips with your burger, take six large floury potatoes. Peel or scrub, leaving a little skin on, and cut into thick chips. Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 130C. Rinse the chips in running cold water and dry. Cook chips for 6-8 minutes until soft but pale. Remove and drain. Turn fryer up to 190C. Fry chips for 3-4 minutes until crisp and golden.

Make Cajun chicken pasta by marinading the chicken in the same mix but cut it into bite-size chunks. Add a chopped onion and a chopped red pepper. Fry the chicken until nearly cooked and add a jar of good quality tomato pasta sauce. When it comes to the boil, add a little cream, some fresh coriander and a pinch of Cajun spice for an extra kick. Toss the sauce through cooked pasta of your choice.

BLACK AND BLUE CHICKEN BURGER

SERVES 4

2 large chicken breasts (each split into two or four small breasts butterflied)

2 tsps Cajun spice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp fresh chopped coriander

Squeeze lemon or lime juice

4 ciabatta rolls or burger buns

2 tomatoes, sliced (optional)

1 little gem lettuce (optional)

100g blue cheese

50g cream cheese

50g creme fraiche

METHOD

Mix together the Cajun spice, olive oil, coriander and lemon or lime juice and add the chicken, coating it all thoroughly.

Leave to marinade in the fridge for between three and 24 hours.

Beat together the cream cheese, creme fraiche and blue cheese to your taste.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken for three to four minutes on each side, depending on their size, until they are cooked through.

Lightly toast the ciabatta, spread with the cheese mix, add the tomatoes and lettuce - if you are using them - and top it all off with the chicken.