The Pod Street Food Review

 

The Pod Street Food in Maidenbower, Crawley

Chef Dave Blunt from Centre Catering has introduced The Pod to the streets of Crawley.  The Pod launched six weeks ago and has been a resounding hit in Crawley Down and Forge Wood,  and today The Pod came to Maidenbower and already the orders are coming in thick and fast for tonight’s service. 

 We were lucky enough to pop along ahead of service for a chat with Dave and to check out The Pod and then to sample his tasty burgers!

On the menu tonight we tried The Veggie Beast, The BBQ Brisket Burger, Maple Smoked Pulled Pork Burger, skinny fries, ranch slaw followed by a slice of Biscoff Millionaires. All the burgers are served in a nice light brioche bun.

The Pod Veggie Beast

The Veggie Beast is a homemade chickpea, chilli and ginger burger, topped with cheese, ranch slaw and pickles.  As a meat eater I wouldn’t usually opt for a veggie option but I have to say this was pretty darn tasty, with a nice bit of gentle heat from the chilli and ginger. It was really fresh tasting, something I would definitely order again. I do however like a bit of bite so perhaps something with a bit of crunch to the texture would enhance it a bit, but that’s just my personal preference.

The Pod BBQ Brisket Burger

Next up was the BBQ Brisket Burger, a 6oz steak patty made by Dave’s fair hands, topped with cheese, hickory smoked brisket, ranch slaw and pickles.  A really nice juicy burger topped with tasty brisket, this definitely had the bite and went down well, a big hit with us all.  

The Pod Maple Smoked Pulled Pork Burger

Last but not least on this burger fest was The Maple Smoked Pulled Pork Burger, this was my favourite, you could really taste the maple, it infused the burger which again was a 6oz steak patty topped with smoked pork blade, cheese and homemade ranch slaw and pickles.  

The Pod Ranch Slaw

Nice crunchy fries and fresh ranch slaw set off each of the burgers, I have yet to taste the Scotch Bonnet Burger but this leaves me something to look forward to on my next visit.

The Pod Biscoff Millionaires Dessert

Dessert was a stroke of genius, Biscoff Millionaires slice, I love the biscuits so was looking forward to this, nice layer of chocolate, gooey caramel centre and a crumbly biscuit base, this topped off our meal nicely.

The chefs at The Pod

Other than the brioche buns everything is homemade and you can certainly taste it, fresh and tasty, just what the folk of Maidenbower have been waiting for, I have no doubt The Pod will be a huge hit with the residents.

The Pod Street Food at  Maidenbower, Crawley

The Pod is at Forge Wood on Thursday, Crawley Down on Friday and Maidenbower Square on Saturday between 5pm-8:30pm.  You can either grab and go or order ahead on 07395 101 201, check them out on Facebook and Instagram for their latest specials and locations.

Remember to support local and pay Dave and his team a visit at one of the above venues, you won’t be disappointed, the meal deals are great value for money, especially the family pack, any 4 burgers, 4 sides and 4 drinks for £30, you can also add 4 cheeky desserts for an additional £5, what’s not to love!

Mango Chicken Burger

Mango Chicken Burger

• Salt & pepper
• 2 chicken breasts, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped (remove the seeds if you don't want it too hot)
• 3 tbsp chopped coriander
• 2 tbsp chopped mint
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 2 slices of white bread, crumbed

To serve

• 2 tbsp zero fat Greek style yoghurt
• 2 large brioche buns, split in half and toasted
• 4 gem lettuce leaves, roughly torn
• 4 slices of tomato
• 4 cucumber ribbons, sliced with a vegetable peeler
• 2 tbsp mango chutney

Method:

Place the chicken, ginger, garlic, chilli, coriander, zest and juice of the lime and breadcrumbs into a food processor.  Season with salt and pepper and blitz until everything is well blended.

Shape the mixture into two large patty's and place under the grill for 6-10 minutes each side or until cooked through and lightly golden.

To serve, spread the yoghurt onto the base of each of the buns, top with lettuce, tomato and the cucumber ribbons.  Place the burger on top, spread over the mango chutney and top with the bun lid.

I served this with my Halloumi fries and boy did this dish go down a treat.  The herbs, lime and chilli really made for a fresh zingy tasting burger.  The recipe is taken from Joe Wicks, The fat-loss plan which contains plenty of great recipes to eat in conjunction with his workouts which I will be giving a try over the coming months so watch this space for more of his tasty yet healthy recipes.

Lime & Chilli Chicken Burger with Greek Yogurt Guacamole

Lime & Chilli chicken burger with Greek yogurt guacamole

• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• Olive oil
• Small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2cm piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 avocado
• 2 tbsp Greek natural yoghurt
• 2 burger buns
• Lettuce and tomato slices to serve

Method: 

In a small blender blitz 1 tbsp olive oil, half the lime juice, coriander and garlic with all the lime zest, chilli and ginger, then season.  Pour this over the chicken and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.  Mash the remaining garlic, coriander and lime juice with the avocado, add the yoghurt and season, then mix thoroughly.

Heat a griddle pan until very hot, wipe any excess marinade off of the chicken and cook for around 5 minutes each side or until cooked through (cut into the chicken to check for any pinkness!).  Toast your burger buns and fill with the guacamole, lettuce and tomato, topping off with the chicken breast. 

This really is so quick and easy to prepare which belies how tasty this is!  Perfect with a good old portion of chips, just what you need after a hard day at work!  If it’s a bit carb heavy you can omit the burger buns and use lettuce to wrap around the chicken, guacamole and tomato (notice I didn’t say omit the chips lol).  Enjoy!     

The Petey Pablo Burger

The Petey Pablo Burger

This post coincides with the 100,000 views of my blog; it's a handsome recipe from my friends at Handsome Burger and is champion, pretty much how I am feeling at the moment.
Really cannot believe that in just under 2 years I have had so many views of my little old blog, feeling a tad emo at the moment lol.

What you will need:

For 4 6oz burgers:
• 4x brioche buns

• 20oz of high quality, high fat content (20-25%) beef. We normally use a mixture of chuck, skirt & short rib to keep the patties really flavoursome & juicy. We also ask our butcher to put through the mincer 3 times for added softness & a nicer texture.

• Then you need some high quality Chorizo – we use Gubeen smokehouse from Cork here in Ireland as it has a fantastic flavour but any high quality chorizo should do. This is not an exact science but around 75/80g should do the trick.

• Then you need smoked paprika, chipotle chilli flakes (These are quite hard to find but I know they have them in Marks & Spencers), Thyme (fresh is preferable) & sea salt.

• Some decent cheddar or jack (4 slices). Unfortunately sliced cheddar (American – Don’t judge me) is the best cheese for burgers as the way it evenly melts over the beef patties is heavenly.

For Roquito Salsa:
• 1/5 of a Jar of Roquito or Peppadew peppers. These can be found in Tesco & are absolutely delicious.

• A handful of cherry tomatoes.
• 1/2 red onion.

• A handful of fresh coriander.

For chunky Guac:
• 2 x ripe avocadoes

• Another handful of coriander

• 1 x lime

• 1 x fresh Chilli (optional depending on how much spice you like)


Method:
1. Flatten out all the mince on to either a large flat bottomed bowl or a chopping board (for an even spread of chorizo & seasoning). Then sprinkle the chipotle chilli flakes, smoked paprika & thyme leaves over the meat until there is a nice even spread and all of the mince is covered. We use quite a lot of paprika & thyme & slightly less chipotle chilli flakes as they have quite a strong distinctive taste.
2. Take your chorizo & blend it up in a food processor until it is completely smooth almost like a paste.. Once this is nice and soft spread the chorizo over the seasoned meat evenly until it is almost completely covered.
3. Then roll the meat evenly in to 4 large meatballs (not in the shape of a burger) and place in the fridge for around 30mins to cool off & bind the meat.
4. While the patties are in the fridge finely chop the tomatoes, red onion & roquito peppers and mix together in a bowl until you have a fine salsa, with an even amount of tomatoes & roquito peppers, slightly less onions. Add a small amount of coriander then salt & pepper to taste.
5. Once this is done, we move on to the chunky guac. I just split the avocadoes in half & squeeze the inside out. Then add coriander, the juice of a lime & some lime zest, salt & pepper. If you like spicy add a fresh chilli but there is already a good amount of heat in the burger.
6. Finally make some paprika mayo, adding 1-2 teaspoons to a small amount of mayonnaise then mix it until it has the right flavour.
7. Once the patties are slightly firmer, heat some olive oil in a large pan with a lid (not needed until the end). Once it is piping add the meat balls one at a time. When you place them in to your pan, flatten them down by hand until in a patty shape (but don’t overdo it to maintain some size.) Once all 4 are flattened, season with some nice sea salt.
8. Once the burgers are sizzling the best advice I can give you is to not touch them but make sure they are not getting stuck to the pan. The more you move them the more fat & flavour you will lose.
9. Let these cook for about 4 minutes either side, it may be slightly different depending on your cooker & how well you like them cooked.
10. When the patties are turned at the half way point lightly toast the brioche buns leaving the bottom bun on slightly longer than the top. Once they look good add the paprika mayo, salsa & guac to the bottom bun.
11. When the burgers are ¾ done add the slices of cheese to the top of the burgers & add a slash of water to the pan before putting the lid on. With around 20 seconds to go add the top bun & another small splash of water.

Finally add the patties, cheese & steamed bun to the bottom half, sit back & enjoy.

Well this recipe will knock your socks off that's for sure, I def recommend adding the extra chilli if you are a bit of a heat fiend, you won't regret it.  I served up this bad boy with a portion of feta fries and they both did the job, go on, give it a go, you know you want to!

Recipe courtesy of the lovely guys at Handsome Burger

Grilled chilli chicken and slaw burgers

Grilled chilli chicken and slaw burgers

• 80g Asian chilli jam
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1.5 tsp sesame oil
• Pack of chicken fillets (3 per person)
• 150g mayonnaise 
• 1/2 tbsp lime zest
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 white baguette 
• 150g shredded cabbage
• 1 carrot shredded
• Handful coriander leaves chopped
• 1 small red chilli finely chopped
• Lime wedges to serve

Method :-
Place the chilli jam, soy sauce and 1 tsp sesame oil and chicken in a bowl, mix to combine, cover and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.  Add the mayonnaise, lime zest, juice and remaining sesame oil to a bowl and and mix together and set aside.  Preheat a char-grill pan over a medium heat, brush with olive oil.  Cook the chicken for 5 minutes each side or until cooked through.  Spread the baguette with the mayonnaise and fill with the chicken, cabbage, carrot, coriander and chilli.  Serve with the lime wedges.  I accompanied this with oven fries topped with umami rush and some extra mayo on the side.  Really tasty Saturday night dinner, fresh and zingy and left me wanting me more.

Recipe courtesy of Donna Hay & credit to Laura Santtini for the umami rush (which is amazing)