Recipe: The Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich

I grew up with Chick-Fil-A. As a Georgia boy born and bred, they were everywhere growing up and admittedly I often get major cravings for their chicken sandwiches. Their controversial politics aside (which is why I can't in good conscience eat at their restaurants for now), I can't deny how good their food actually is. So, I decided to try and recreate it - and I admittedly achieved a recipe that I think might be a bit better than the original. But, you're welcome to be your own judge.

Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients

4 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half longways
Juice from one large container of dill pickles
1 quart chicken broth
2 tbsp Sriracha or Tabasco
1 tbsp peppercorns
1 tbsp whole cloves
1/4 cup + 2 tsp sugar
1/8 cup kosher salt
2 cups self-rising flour
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tbsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. celery salt
Peanut or other high smoke point oil for frying
8 potato buns
Cooking spray
Dill pickle slices (optional)

Directions

Mix chicken broth, pickle juice, Sriracha, peppercorns, cloves, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1/8 cup of kosher salt into a large sealable container. Poke chicken breasts liberally with a fork on all sides to create small holes to absorb brine. Add chicken breasts, making sure they are fully submerged, and seal. Brine at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

Preheat oil to 350 degrees in a deep dutch oven or large pot. Mix together black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, white pepper, ground cumin, ground mustard, and celery salt. Whisk together eggs and buttermilk in a separate bowl. Mix 2 tsp of sugar into the flour in another bowl. Add 2 1/2 tablespoons of the spice mixture to the flour and mix in well. Add 4 tablespoons of the egg/milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix through with fork until the batter is coarse all around. Take chicken breasts out of the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Season all over with the remaining spice mixture, pressing the mixture into the chicken to coat well. Working one piece at a time, coat in the milk/egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off, then the flour/spice mixture. Shake off excess flour then submerge slowly into the hot oil, turning frequently. When dark brown, remove from oil and place on a rack to drain off excess oil. Spray the potato buns lightly with cooking spray or brush with melted butter and place on a griddle on medium heat to toast. Place 2 dill pickle slices on the toasted bun and then a piece of cooked chicken. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe: Nawlins Cali Po' Boy

This recipe is inspired by my recent trip back to New Orleans, one of my favorite cities. I am a big fan of po' boy sandwiches, especially the ones with fried seafood. However, I honestly cannot resist putting a Cali twist on a Nawlins classic...

Ingredients:

Crab salad:

1 tbsp. crushed garlic

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 cups of fresh lump dungeness crab meat

Sandwich:

1 two foot long sourdough French baguette (if you find somewhere that makes New Orleans style French baguettes, feel free to get one of those!)

2 lbs. of peeled, deveined, and de-tailed small shrimp (if you can get Gulf Coast "popcorn" shrimp, they are the best)

1 1/2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of corn meal

2 tbsp. of sea salt

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. black pepper

2 eggs, beaten

3 cups of canola oil (for frying)

1/4 cup of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3 tbsp. of finely chopped chives

2 large heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced

2 1/2 cups of fresh arugula

Directions:

Crab salad:

Combine everything but the crab meat into a small bowl. Using a whisk, whip all of the ingredients together until a creamy emulsion forms - an aioli. In a larger bowl, place the lump crab meat and use your fingers to well separate the strands and parts. Add the aioli to the bowl and mix together thoroughly using a wooden spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator.

Sandwich:

Combine the flour, corn meal, and all of the dry spices well together in a large bowl. Heat the canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place the shrimp into the flour and spice mixture first to coat, then into the egg wash, then back into the flour and spice mixture before placing into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 5 - 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels or a large paper sack.

Add the chopped chives to the room temperature butter. Using a fork, mix the chives into the butter thoroughly. Slice the baguette in half lengthwise. Spread the chive butter all over the bottom half. Spread the arugula out evenly on top of the butter. Place the tomatoes evenly atop the arugula. Spread the fried shrimp out evenly on top of the tomatoes. Top the shrimp evenly with the crab salad. Place the top of baguette back on and push down to tighten the sandwich. Cut width-wise into 8 equal portions. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.