In Jacksonville, we’ve been entrenched in spring for a while now and signs of summer are fast approaching. The magnolia trees are in bloom and the daily temperature is now reaching 80 F or above. At the local farmers market, plump, delicious tomatoes are also coming into season. This means several months of relishing in juicy tomato sandwiches. Yum! The only thing that makes this simple pleasure even more enticing is a good sprinkle of herbes de Provence – my favorite spring/summer seasoning.
Herbes de Provence is a traditional blend of aromatic herbs that flourish in the hills of southern France. Rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, fennel, chervil, oregano, summer savory, tarragon, mint and marjoram are some of the herbs found in the mix. Every cook may create a slightly different blend, but the rosemary, thyme and bay are found in every recipe. A more recent and less traditional addition is lavender, a slightly citrus flavored aromatic herb belonging to the mint family that was supposedly added to remind tourists of the vast, fragrant lavender fields of Provence. Personally I adore lavender in the blend as it adds an elegant floral flavor and pairs beautifully with poultry, spring and summer vegetables, goat cheeses and mustard vinaigrettes.
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon an episode of 30-Minute Meals in which Rachel Ray was preparing a chicken burger with herbes de Provence. I’m not a meat burger kind of gal as I usually find them too heavy, greasy and “meaty”, but this recipe piqued my interest with its perfect combination of spring/summer ingredients and incredibly lean chicken breast. H and I made them one Saturday for lunch and absolutely loved them after making a few tweaks to the original recipe.
Instead of adding olives and anchovy paste to the onions, we simply caramelized them -- wanting a simpler, sweeter flavor that would allow the herbes de Provence and lemon in the chicken to shine through. Then we substituted peppery baby arugula for lettuce and added Dijon mustard, which complimented the seasoned chicken nicely. These burgers were huge (1/2 lb each)! So next time we make them, we’ll halve the size. The ground chicken breast has very little fat to render so the burgers don’t really reduce in size once cooked. A “quarter pounder” is definitely an ample portion once a bun and side are included. Steamed or grilled asparagus with lemon is the perfect accompaniment to this gourmet spring burger as is a glass of crisp pinot gris. Our modified recipe is as follows:
Spring Chicken Burgers
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 large onions, very thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground chicken breast (1.5 lbs would be best)
1 tablespoon dried herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 crusty rolls, split and lightly toasted
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1-2 cups of baby arugula
Grilled/steamed asparagus, for serving
METHOD
Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook 15-20 minutes to caramelize. Remove from stove.
While the onions cook, combine chicken with herbes de Provence, fennel seed, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Form 4 patties and cook 6 minutes on each side. Melt the Swiss cheese on each burger the last minute of cook time. Serve the burgers on buns topped with Dijon mustard, arugula and caramelized onions. Serve asparagus alongside.
Serves 4
If you can't find herbes de Provence in your local market, here is a basic recipe to make your own and a nice way to use some of the dry herbs that may have been in the spice rack for a while.
Herbes de Provence
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon chervil
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon summer savory
1 teaspoon lavender
1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1 teaspoon of dried orange or lemon peel (optional)
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon mint
2 bay leaves crushed
METHOD
Mix together and allow to sit for 2 days in a covered container in a cool, dark place. This will allow the flavors to blend and mellow out. Enjoy throughout spring and summer!
Herbes de Provence is a traditional blend of aromatic herbs that flourish in the hills of southern France. Rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, fennel, chervil, oregano, summer savory, tarragon, mint and marjoram are some of the herbs found in the mix. Every cook may create a slightly different blend, but the rosemary, thyme and bay are found in every recipe. A more recent and less traditional addition is lavender, a slightly citrus flavored aromatic herb belonging to the mint family that was supposedly added to remind tourists of the vast, fragrant lavender fields of Provence. Personally I adore lavender in the blend as it adds an elegant floral flavor and pairs beautifully with poultry, spring and summer vegetables, goat cheeses and mustard vinaigrettes.
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon an episode of 30-Minute Meals in which Rachel Ray was preparing a chicken burger with herbes de Provence. I’m not a meat burger kind of gal as I usually find them too heavy, greasy and “meaty”, but this recipe piqued my interest with its perfect combination of spring/summer ingredients and incredibly lean chicken breast. H and I made them one Saturday for lunch and absolutely loved them after making a few tweaks to the original recipe.
Instead of adding olives and anchovy paste to the onions, we simply caramelized them -- wanting a simpler, sweeter flavor that would allow the herbes de Provence and lemon in the chicken to shine through. Then we substituted peppery baby arugula for lettuce and added Dijon mustard, which complimented the seasoned chicken nicely. These burgers were huge (1/2 lb each)! So next time we make them, we’ll halve the size. The ground chicken breast has very little fat to render so the burgers don’t really reduce in size once cooked. A “quarter pounder” is definitely an ample portion once a bun and side are included. Steamed or grilled asparagus with lemon is the perfect accompaniment to this gourmet spring burger as is a glass of crisp pinot gris. Our modified recipe is as follows:
Spring Chicken Burgers
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 large onions, very thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground chicken breast (1.5 lbs would be best)
1 tablespoon dried herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 crusty rolls, split and lightly toasted
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1-2 cups of baby arugula
Grilled/steamed asparagus, for serving
METHOD
Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook 15-20 minutes to caramelize. Remove from stove.
While the onions cook, combine chicken with herbes de Provence, fennel seed, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Form 4 patties and cook 6 minutes on each side. Melt the Swiss cheese on each burger the last minute of cook time. Serve the burgers on buns topped with Dijon mustard, arugula and caramelized onions. Serve asparagus alongside.
Serves 4
If you can't find herbes de Provence in your local market, here is a basic recipe to make your own and a nice way to use some of the dry herbs that may have been in the spice rack for a while.
Herbes de Provence
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon chervil
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon summer savory
1 teaspoon lavender
1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1 teaspoon of dried orange or lemon peel (optional)
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon mint
2 bay leaves crushed
METHOD
Mix together and allow to sit for 2 days in a covered container in a cool, dark place. This will allow the flavors to blend and mellow out. Enjoy throughout spring and summer!
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