Hallelujah, It’s Summer in Seattle Blackberry Chicken Burgers

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

Bright and full-bodied, this Zinfandel wine is a curious contradiction in tastes.

Ingredients

Blackberry reduction sauce:
1 teaspoon shallot, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup Sutter Home Zinfandel red wine
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup of seedless blackberry jam
1 sprig of fresh thyme (equals 1/2 teaspoon)

Burgers:
2 16-ounce packages of ground chicken, preferably Foster Farms
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

Weber Grill ‘N Spray for no-stick grilling – enough to coat grill rack

Burger ‘toppings’:
6 slices of brie cheese (1.5 ounces each)
6 long slices of prosciutto (5 ounces total)
18 large leaves of fresh spinach or 36 small leaves
6 thin-style sandwich buns, such as Sara Lee or Oroweat Sandwich
Thins

 

Instructions

1. In a grill safe cooking pot, put 1 teaspoon shallot and 1 teaspoon olive oil, and saute for 1 minute. Add the red wine, lemon juice, blackberry jam and sprig of fresh thyme. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and let it simmer for one hour, until thick. Remove from grill and put sauce in a glass container. Put it over ice or in a refrigerator to cool.
2. While sauce is simmering, start to prepare burgers.
Mix together burger ingredients except grill spray (ground chicken, pepper, salt, lemon juice, shallot, fresh oregano, and fresh thyme) with hands. Make into six patties and put them on a platter over ice in a cooler to remain cold until ready to grill.
3. After the sauce has been over ice about 20 minutes (or when it begins to look very thick), spray grill and begin to cook the burgers over the grill. Grill over medium heat, about five minutes per side.
When burgers are cooked, put on top rack and add a brie slice to the top of each.
Put prosciutto slices on the grill. Grill for about 30 seconds to 1 minute per side.
Remove burgers from grill, and put on a platter.
Toast buns on the grill.
4. Assemble burgers:
Wrap each burger in prosciutto, making sure prosciutto covers cheese.
Place burger on bottom bun.
Add 3 large spinach leaves to each burger (or 6 small)
Put 2 tablespoons of blackberry red wine sauce on top of spinach.
Add top bun, and serve!