Cooking Chicken for Fun and Profit

Enlarge Image Image Gallery The historic Alamo in San Antonio captivated food writers covering the National Chicken Cooking Contest. iStockphoto.com/Tito Slack

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Crowing rights go to a chicken burger.

At the 48th National Chicken Cooking Contest, a chicken burger won the hearts and taste buds of the judging panel, spotlighting the easy use and yumminess of ground chicken. The contest, sponsored by the National Chicken Council and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, happens every two years. This year’s event, set in San Antonio, Texas, brought nine regional winners to the kitchen.

The winning burger recipe, “Chinese Chicken Burgers with Rainbow Sesame Slaw,” was the creation of 28-year-old Brigitte Nguyen of Lexington, Kentucky. Brigitte had a busy week – mere days before her $50,000 recipe win, she accepted the proposal of fiancé Michael Prather.

“Asian cooking is all about balance,” Brigitte says. “The burgers can also be grilled.”

The Judges’ Choice award, worth $10,000, went to Elise Lalor’s “Butterflied Chicken with Herbs and Sticky Lemon.” Elise, from Issaquah, Washington, says that although she was initially reluctant to try the butterfly technique, after practicing several times her fear went away, and she now says the technique is easy to use.

“The recipe has a lot of garlic – 10 cloves – and the sauce is put on at the very end,” Elise says. “I serve it, cut in quarters, with rice or on mashed potatoes.”

Nine regional finalists, who qualified at cook-offs across the country, prepared their dishes in the test kitchens of the Culinary Institute of America’s San Antonio Branch. The 2009 contest marked the first year regional cook-offs were held instead of bringing all 51 state and Washington, D.C., winners to the finale.

Contestant Ruth Kendrick, of Ogden, Utah, calls the institute’s kitchen setup “terrific,” and Elise says the CIA kitchens had a lot of wonderful space.

For more on the contest, visit the website, www.ChickenCookingContest.com, and check out the website, www.EatChicken.com, for more great chicken recipes. 

Chinese Chicken Burgers with Rainbow Sesame Slaw 

Brigitte Nguyen (representing East South Central Region)
Lexington, Kentucky
2009 Grand Prize 

2 pounds ground chicken
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
1/3 cup sliced scallions
6 hamburger buns with sesame seeds
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 tablespoons hoisin sauce
Sliced scallions
Sriracha Lime Mayo, recipe follows
Rainbow Sesame Slaw, recipe follows 

In large bowl, mix together ground chicken, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, lemongrass and scallions. Divide mixture into 6 patties and set aside. Place grill pan over medium heat. Spread softened butter on hamburger buns and place on grill pan until light brown.

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