Jono & Jules do food & wine

This is pretty much a meal in a brioche bun, don’t skip anything as it all comes together perfectly.

Wine Suggestion: Given the weather and the dish we cracked open a Domaine of the Bee, Bee Pink Rosé from Roussillon. A blend of Grenache and Syrah this had the obligatory red fruit flavours we expected but the thing that made it work so well with the food was the wonderful texture and hints of thyme. An accidental but fortuitous match.

Barbecued Chicken with Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato & Avocado – serves 4

• 8 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
• 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 rashers of smoked streaky bacon

FOR THE MAYONNAISE:

• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tbsp finely chopped dill
• 3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 dashes of hot sauce
• 2 tsp mild American mustard
• a pinch of cayenne pepper

TO SERVE:

• 4 large brioche buns
• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced
• 2 little gem lettuces, leaves separated

Bash the chicken thighs between sheets of baking paper or cling film until about 1cm thick.

Put the chicken into a shallow dish with the garlic, rosemary and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss the chicken until coated in the herbs and oil.

Mix all of the mayonnaise ingredients together and sesason to taste.

Cook the chicken on a hot barbecue for a few minutes on each side. Add the bacon to the barbecue and cook until crispy, it will only take a couple of minutes. Once cooked, leave the chicken and bacon aside to rest.

Add the brioche buns to the barbecue and char briefly.

Peel and slice the avocados (don’t do this in advance or they will discolour).

Spread some mayo on the bottom half of each brioche bun and top with 2 chicken thighs. Add layers of tomato, bacon, avocado and lettuce, then spread the top half of the buns with the rest of the mayonnaise, sandwich together and serve.

(Original recipe from Outdoor Cooking by Tom Kerridge, Bloomsbury Absolute, 2021.)