Chicken banh mi burgers with soft fried eggs and pickles

Name: Chicken banh mi burgers with soft fried eggs and pickles
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: oil for shallow frying; 6 x 90–120g brioche buns, sliced in half crossways; 6 eggs; 80g chicken or duck liver pâté; Kewpie mayonnaise, to serve; sriracha, to serve; 12 iceberg or butter lettuce leaves; 2 handfuls of coriander leaves

Karen Martini

March 10, 2023

Banh mi-inspired chicken burgers with soft fried eggs, pâté and pickles.William Meppem

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:6

On a break in Vietnam some years back, we ate many a backstreet banh mi and fell in love with all the vibrant flavours. This banh mi as a burger is far from traditional, but it is delicious – and a satisfying standalone meal for lunch or dinner. You'll need to cook these three at a time, unless your kitchen is generously equipped.

Ingredients

oil for shallow frying
6 x 90–120g brioche buns, sliced in half crossways
6 eggs
80g chicken or duck liver pâté
Kewpie mayonnaise, to serve
sriracha, to serve
12 iceberg or butter lettuce leaves
2 handfuls of coriander leaves

For the burger patties

700g chicken thigh mince
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 lemongrass stalk, white inner part, very finely chopped
1½ tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp Golden Mountain seasoning sauce (optional)
3 tsp caster sugar
1½ tsp ground white pepper
2 cups panko breadcrumbs

For the quick pickles

1 Lebanese cucumber, finely sliced
4 spring onions, white and most of the green finely sliced on an angle
1 carrot, finely julienned
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp caster sugar

Method

Step 1
Combine the patty ingredients, except the panko crumbs, in a bowl until a uniform mix, then shape into six burgers. Coat the burgers by pressing them into the panko in a shallow bowl. Refrigerate until needed.
Step 2
For the pickles, place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Set aside for about 10 minutes.
Step 3
Heat about 2cm of oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Fry three burger patties for about 2.5 minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through. Drain briefly.
Step 4
Meanwhile, lightly toast three of the buns under the grill. Fry three eggs in a generous amount of oil in a large frying pan until the edges are crisp, the whites set and the yolks still soft.
Step 5
Smear some pâté on each bun base, then squeeze on mayonnaise and sriracha. Add the burgers and follow with the pickles, lettuce, coriander and eggs. Smear the bun lids with kewpie and fix onto the burger with a skewer. Repeat the process to make the remaining burgers, then serve with plenty of serviettes.