Heavy is the homemade chicken sandwich that wears the crown.
INGREDIENTS:
Bread:
3 cups (450g) of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (3g) fine sea salt
1 cup (250g) whole milk, 95f
2.5 (9g) teaspoons instant yeast
2.5 (11g) tablespoons granulated sugar
2 whole eggs
1/4 cup (58g) unsalted butter, softened
egg wash: 1 egg plus 1 (5g) teaspoon of water, beaten together
Untoasted sesame seeds for topping
Chicken:
1lb (453g) chicken breast, ground up
1/4 lb (113g) pork fatback, ground up
2 teaspoons (6g) kosher salt
2 teaspoons (6g) garlic powder
2 teaspoons (6g) nutritional yeast
3/4 teaspoon (19g) fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon (<1) onion powder
1.5 (225g) cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs beaten with a splash of water
1.5 (19g) tablespoon water
1.5 (113g) cups panko breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for frying
Sauce and Toppings:
2 egg yolks
1.5 (25g) tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon (2g) sugar
2 cloves garlic, grated
pinch of white pepper (optional)
1/4 cup (60g) creme fraiche
zest from 1 lemon, finely chopped
salt to taste
2 teaspoons (9g) of water
1 cup (200g) vegetable oil in a squeeze bottle
butter lettuce
INSTRUCTIONS:
Bread:
Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a bowl of a stander mixer with the hook attachment, add flour and salt.
Separately mix milk and yeast; then add sugar and mix. Next, turn on your stand mixer on low speed; next, add your milk mixture to your flour along with eggs; lt it mixes until you get a rough dough. Then add butter, let it mix, and incorporate. Once you get a homogenous dough, knead for 5 minutes or until you get a smooth dough.
Shape it into a ball, place it in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and rise for one hour or until doubled in size.
Punch it down and divide it into 8 (95 - 100 g) even pieces, shape them into balls and let them rest for about 7 minutes, covered with greased plastic wrap.
Then roll your balls into a 7” long baguette shape, then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly flat the buns, cover with greased plastic wrap, and proof for 20 minutes at room temperature.
Brush your buns with egg wash, generously sprinkle some sesame seeds, and optionally score them at a 45-degree angle with a razor. Place in the oven for 16 - 28 minutes or until golden brown. Optionally brush with melted butter while still hot, and place on a wire rack to cool down.
Chicken:
In a medium-size bowl, add ground chicken and ground pork; knead for 1 min, then add salt, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, and black pepper; mix until combined.
Form four chicken patties and place them on a baking sheet; wrap them with plastic and put them in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Breading station: in three separate medium-sized bowls, add flour, egg+water, and panko crumbs. Fill a heavy bottom pot just over halfway with vegetable oil. Heat to 350F.
Coat your chicken patties in flour, shake off the excess, dip them in the egg mixture, fully covered (no dry spots), and then dip them into the panko. Make sure the patties get fully coated in panko.
Fry your patties, 2 or 3 at a time, for 4 - 6 minutes or until golden brown or the internal temperature reaches 165F. Remove and drain on a baking sheet with a wire rack—season with salt and a pinch of mushroom powder to taste while hot. Repeat with the rest of your patties.
Sauce and Toppings:
In a medium-size bowl, add egg yolks, mustard, sugar, a pinch of salt, garlic, and white pepper; whisk together. While constantly whisking, add oil in tiny drops, then gradually increase the stream until you use all of the oil.
To your mayo, add creme Fraiche and lemon zest; mix until combined.
Assembly - Toast your buns with butter on both cut sides, and spread a generous amount of mayo on both toasted sides of the bread. Then add a chicken pattie, a nice layer of lettuce, and finally, crown your sandwich with the top bun.
