Ashley's Spicy Chicken Sandwich
When I was presented with the challenge of making “The Perfect” chicken sandwich at work I was all for it. I took the time to research how to make my sandwich the very best and I did just that.. I also made sure to pair it with a creamy herb remoulade to balance out some of that spice.
So technically, saying my own sandwich is “perfect” may be a little biased but just to be clear it got a pretty good response when shared with fellow chefs and customers. The key to a great chicken sandwich besides making sure that it is fully cooked is to make sure that it is crispy, airy and flakey, there’s nothing worse than a heavy oily chicken sandwich. In order to create that crispy breading an equal amount of cornstarch to flour is very important. Before hand, placing the chicken in buttermilk with the spices is just as important. This sandwich may be a little tricky to work with but trust me when I say it is completely worth it. (Popeyes sandwich who?!)
Prep Time : 40 min- 1 day Cook Time: 30 min
Yeilds 4- 6 Sandwiches
Ingredients:
For the Buttermilk marinade
1 Gallon of whole butter milk
3 Tbls of Cayenne spice
3 Tbls of Garlic Powder
2 Tbls of Onion Powder
4 Tbls of Kosher Salt
*Combine all indigents in a container with a lid submerging chicken in buttermilk overnight or at least 40 minutes.
For the Breading
2 cups of AP flour
2 cups of Cornstarch
2 tsp of Kosher Salt
1 tsp of Cayenne powder
1 tsp of Cumin
*Combine Flour Cornstarch and spices in a bowl, mix thoroughly.
For the Remoulade
1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
1 oz of fresh chopped Dill
1 lemon and zest
1/2 cup of Pickled gherkins (rough chopped)
2 oz of Buttermilk
1 pinch of salt
*combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix well and keep cool in the fridge while cooking your chicken.
Method:
Begin by preheating you oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit , its best to use an oil that doesn’t burn easily like Canola oil or Vegetable oil.
While the oil is heating up place the 6 oz chicken pillards on a cooling rack getting rid of any excess buttermilk marinade.
On a flat surface such as a sheet tray place the cornstarch and flour mixture.
By now your oil should be up to temperature, use the appropriate kitchen thermometer to determine this.
Carefully place each side of the chicken breast into the flour breading making sure to coat well but not too much, creating a thin layer of breading on each side.
Slowly place the chicken into the hot oil making sure to cook it for about 8 mins on each side.
Once the chicken has a golden brown, crispy outer appearance, be sure to check the internal temperature making sure it has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit or higher indicating that it is fully cooked.
cool the cooked chicken pillard on a clean cooling rack catching any oil on a napkin.
Assemble your sandwich with a bun of choice (brioche is best) and place the remoulade on top portion of the bun.
*Feel free to add any lettuce, pickles or any other condiments that you wish, almost all if not all would go great with this chicken sandwich.
