Chicky Sandos

It was Monday…and I was hankering for a fried chicken sandwich. You know the kind I’m talking about. Plump and juicy like a ripe grape with a crispy exterior that you can HEAR. I love using rice flour to get that texture, something that korean fried chicken makes ample use of. I gave this a quick stab, and was happy with the first take… but there was still something missing. I had chicky sandos on the brain for a full 24 hours, until I could get back into the kitchen. So Tuesday found me back in the kitchen tinkering, and boom - it turns out my chicken just needed a little bit of that magic sauce in the brine. Liquid shio koji is a cool ingredient loaded with enzymes that help with tenderization and moisture rentention, and I love the flavor that pickle brine contributes. Recipe’s below! Enjoy!

BUNS: martins potato buns, just toasted in a pan with butter
PICKLES: Mt Olive Dill Rounds
SAUCE: equal parts whole grain Dijon mustard and Dukes mayo
MARINADE: 1 cup or 240g liquid shio koji, with a couple tbsp of pickle brine, 2 tsp of black pepper and 1 tbsp of salt thrown in there for good measure. If you can’t get liquid shio koji, just brine in salt, black pepper, a little sugar and pickle juice.

BREADING: 1 cup flour, 1 cup rice flour, 1 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp, paprika, 2 tsp cayenne, 1 tbsp garlic

CHICKEN: 4 x 5 oz chicken breast.

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Cover chicken in plastic wrap and pound a few times with a pot or mallet to flatten. Poke some holes with a fork, then marinade for 2 hours.

  2. Make an egg wash by whisking two eggs and cups of milk together. For the breading whisk together all ingredients in a bowl. Dip chicken in egg wash, then bread in flour.

  3. Fill a pot with oil for frying (peanut, canola, grapeseed) and heat to 350F.

  4. Drop in chicken and cook for ~6 minutes. Don’t forget to toast your buns in butter! Remove and build sandwich. I like sauce on both sides, then chicken then LOTS of pickles.
    Top with Chile crisp and sliced green onions if you have them!

Sam Lopane