BACON AND CREAMY RANCH CHICKEN BURGERS WITH CRISPY SCALLION "STICKS"

Bacon and Creamy Ranch Chicken Burgers with Crispy Scallion

Categories Bread Sandwich Chicken Side Fry Bacon

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

8 bacon slices
1 package ground chicken breast
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 small onion, grated
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful, chopped
1/4 pound dill havarti cheese, cut into 1/4-inch dice (see Note)
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning, 2/3 palmful
2 lemons
Salt and black pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying and for drizzling
2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon paprika, 1/3 palmful
All-purpose flour, for dredging
16 to 18 scallions, trimmed of roots
4 sandwich-size English muffins, split
Creamy Ranch dressing, for slathering toasted muffins
1 beefsteak tomato, cut into 8 slices

Steps:

Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it is crisp.
While the bacon cooks, in a large bowl combine the ground chicken, garlic, onion, parsley, dill havarti chunks, poultry seasoning, the zest and juice of 1/2 lemon, salt, and pepper. Divide the mixture into 4 equal mounds, then form the meat into large, thin patties, about 1 inch thick. Drizzle them with vegetable oil to coat.
Remove the crispy bacon from the skillet to a paper-towel-lined plate and reserve. Wipe the excess grease from the skillet and return it to the cooktop over medium-high heat, add the burgers to the skillet, and cook them for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until they are cooked through.
While the burgers are cooking, put together the scallion "sticks." Heat 1 1/2 inches of the vegetable oil in a deep-sided skillet over medium heat. In a wide mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, paprika, and the zest of the remaining 1 1/2 lemons. Place the flour in a second wide mixing bowl. Before you go at it, take one of the scallions and hold it up next to the skillet containing the heating oil. If needed, trim off some of the green tops to allow it to fit in the skillet easily.
Line a plate with a few paper towels and set it near the stovetop. Add a 1-inch cube of bread to the hot oil. If it turns deep golden brown in color after a count of 40, the oil is ready. If the bread cube browns too quickly, turn down the heat and wait a few minutes for it to cool.
Working in 2 to 3 batches, dip some of the scallions in the buttermilk, then into the flour, coating thoroughly. Put them back into the buttermilk and then into the flour again. Fry the coated scallions into the hot oil for about 1 minute on each side, or until golden brown. Transfer to the paper-towel-lined plate and immediately season them with a little salt. Repeat the process until all the scallion "sticks" are fried up.
Toast the English muffins and slather both sides with the Ranch dressing. Arrange the cooked Ranch burgers on the English muffin bottoms, top each burger with 2 slices of the crispy bacon and 2 slices of tomato, and finish them with the English muffin tops. Serve them alongside the crispy scallion "sticks."