Tiny ones make great appetizers.
Servings: Makes 8 sliders
Ready Time: 45 minutes
Wine Pairings: Lucy has referenced children in her introduction to the tostadas, so permit me to start with a non-alcoholic suggestion: lemonade. You can festively rim the glasses with sugar and call them “margaritas,” an enchanting word for kids to pronounce. Lemonade would suit the entire menu, in fact. For adults, the genuine margarita – 1 ounce tequila, 1 ounce fresh lime juice and 2/3 ounce triple sec shaken with ice – is a fine choice for all three recipes. So is a bloody Mary. On the wine side, keep things zippy or boldly fruity or both. These are spicy-zesty dishes that call for punchy fruit. Sauvignon blanc is ideal if you favour white. Good reds include zippy Beaujolais or fuller-bodied Chilean merlot or California red zinfandel (though the crisp, light salad rolls really beg for white). - Beppi Crosariol
Red cabbage slaw
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
Chicken
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, skin removed
1 cup best-quality barbecue sauce
8 slider buns, toasted
Method
Combine vinegar, sugar, lime juice and salt in small pot over high heat. Bring to a boil and set aside.
Toss cabbage and onions in a large bowl with vinegar mixture. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook 5 minutes, or until softened. Add garlic and paprika and cook for 30 more seconds, or until paprika is fragrant. Add chicken and stir until chicken has absorbed the spices. Add barbecue sauce and bring to boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce is thick and rich.
Load each bun with 1/4 cup pulled chicken and top with a mound of cabbage slaw.
Lucy Waverman