Shroomy Sandwich

This weekend we went to the fair.  I love going to the fair.  For so many reasons.

There are the fun exhibits.  This year the theme was "Out of this World" so lots of space type exhibits, black lights, and crazy lighting.  Thatbaby was fascinated.

He also loved the lights on the rides.  He's going to love riding them when he's a little older.

And it was fun to watch him see the animals.  He's been to the zoo a bunch of times, but apparently before he had real awareness of the lions and tigers and bears (oh my).  This weekend he stared open-mouthed at the giant cows and laughed at the antics of the goats.

Being at the fair wore him out.  Which meant he got a really good nap while we were there.  Long enough for us to indulge in our other fair favorite - the food.  The fried delights of the fair which Thatbaby really doesn't need to partake in.  We were glad he was sleeping.

Instead, we gave him faux-fried things.  Chicken patties patted thin and covered in a mushroom crust.  It has all the crunch of fried chicken, but far more figure friendly.  Thatbaby LOVES this, especially the arugula.  But we already know he adores greens.  I served this on some nice brioche slices.  I'll post the recipe tomorrow.

Mushroom Crusted Chicken Burgers (From Elly Says Opa)

1 oz. dried mushrooms (I used porcini)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1.25 lbs. ground chicken
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 slices Havarti cheese
4 burger buns, split and toasted
arugula, for serving

1. In the bowl of a food processor, grind the dried mushrooms to a coarse powder.  Reserve 1 tablespoon of the powder. Transfer the rest to a shallow bowl or pie plate and mix in the salt and pepper.
2.  In a large bowl, combine the reserved mushroom powder, chicken, Worcestershire, mustard, shallot, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste (I used about 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper).  Form into 4 equal-sized patties.
3.  Working one burger at a time, coat the outside with the mushroom powder, pressing lightly to adhere.
4.  Preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, and add the oil.
5.  Cook the burgers 4-5 minutes per side, or until the meat is cooked through.  Add the cheese for the last minute or two in order for it to melt.
6.  Serve the burgers on toasted buns, topped with arugula.