Fried Chicken Sandwich

With all the hullabaloo over Popeye's Chicken Sandwich, I had to make one myself. In my opinion, the secret for ANY fried food to achieve the ultimate crunch factor is some Panko in the breading. As Chef Sean Brock says, when you bread something, it has to be breaded well enough, it won't lose its crust if you drop-kicked it across the parking lot.

Recipe and Photography by Noah Rosen

Forge To Table Knives

Prep Time: 2.5 hours

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Chicken Brine

• 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken thigh

• 12 oz milk

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• Salt and Pepper, as needed

• Hot Sauce, as needed

Chicken Breading

• 8 oz AP flour, seasoned

• 1/4 cup reserved marinade

• 2 egg

• 1-1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

• Canola or vegetable oil, for frying

Sandwich Add-ons

• 4 Brioche Bun

• Butter lettuce leaves, as needed

• Spicy bread and butter pickle slices, as needed

• 1 heirloom tomato, sliced, as needed

• Red onion, sliced, as needed

Lazy Aioli

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• Hot Sauce, to taste

• Garlic powder, to taste

Directions:

1. Mix milk, seasonings, and hot sauce. Submerge chicken thighs in brine and let sit for between 2 and 8 hours (overnight is good too).

2. Save 1/4 cup of the brine and place in a bowl. Remove the chicken and discard the remaining brine. Whisk the egg into half of the reserved marinade. (The other tablespoon is a backup if you need to double bread.)

3. One at a time, dredge chicken in seasoned flour. Then dip it into the brine-egg mixture. And finally dredge in panko, before placing it onto a plate.

4. When ready, heat 3 inches of canola or vegetable oil in a tall-sided sauce pot until about 350°F. Fry breaded chicken until golden brown and crispy. Check internal temperature, the ideal is 160°F (it will carry over to fully cook). If you're worried about food safety, make sure your chicken is 165°F. If you're satisfied with the color of your breading, but the chicken has not come up to temperature, finish in a 350°F oven.

5. Split your buttery brioche bun in half with a Forge To Table Bread Knife. Toast it or live with your sad room-temperature bread and disappoint your mother.

6. With your Forge To Table chef knife, mince garlic. Mix minced garlic and hot sauce with mayo for a great but lazy mayo.

7. Schmear aioli onto a toasted bun. From the bottom up, add red onion slices, pickled, lettuce, then tomato. Add warm fried chicken. Top with the top bun and enjoy!