Is it possible to fall in love with a fried chicken sandwich? The chicken is brined in crab boil seasoning so you can taste the spice in every bite.
Crawfish Boil Hot Fried Chicken Sandwich
Author: Tory McPhail of Picnic Provisions and Whiskey
Yields: 8 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, halved crosswise if thick
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
- 2 quarts cold water
- ¼ cup Zatarain’s Crawfish, Shrimp, and Crab Boil—Complete
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 1½ teaspoons ground black pepper, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning*
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Mayonnaise
- Brioche buns, grilled
- Leaf lettuce
- Dill pickles
- Hot sauce, to serve
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts and thighs in half. In a large stockpot, combine chicken, 2 quarts cold water, and crab boil. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours.
- In a shallow bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Remove chicken from brine, and pat dry; coat chicken with flour mixture, and place on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (This will help make the fried chicken even crispier.)
- In a shallow dish, whisk together Creole seasoning, remaining 2 cups flour, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss chicken in Creole-seasoned flour mixture, coating liberally and shaking off excess. Place on a wire rack; let stand for 15 minutes.
- In a large Dutch oven, pour oil to a depth of 3 inches, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350˚. Fry chicken in batches until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 165˚, 9 to 10 minutes. Let drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread
amount of mayonnaise onto steamed buns.desired Top bottom half of buns with lettuce, a chicken breast piece, a chicken thigh piece, and pickles. Cover with top half of buns. Serve with hot sauce, if desired. - Note: At the restaurant, Tory garnishes this sandwich with lemony white miso mayo, mirliton dill pickles, and Crystal hot sauce pulp.
Notes
*We used Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning.