This is arguably one of the world's first fast food chicken sandwiches…now let’s lay it to rest.
INGREDIENTS:
McChicken:
Buns:
½ cup (115g)whole milk
½ cup (110g) water
2 ½ tsp (11g) instant yeast
3 ½ cups (525g) bread flour
⅓ cup (70g) sugar
1.5 tsp (9g) fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 large yolk
⅓ cup (75g) unsalted butter softened, plus more for brushing
¼ tsp (1g) malt powder
3 g amylase
Egg wash (1 egg + 1 tbsp water)
Chicken Patty:
2lbs (907g) chicken breast
3/4 lb (340g) pork fat back
22g kosher salt - 2 heavy tablespoons
1.5 teaspoon (8g) sugar
3/4 teaspoon (4g) MSG
1 teaspoon (2g) white pepper
1 teaspoon (2g) celery powder
1 teaspoon (>1g) sage powder
1 teaspoon (4g) garlic powder
½ teaspoon (>1g) onion powder
1 cup (150g) ap flour
2 eggs
2 cups (130g) panko (blitz lightly to fine it up)
Dressed Shredduce:
1/2 head iceberg Lettuce, finely sliced
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon (3g) thinly sliced chives
1 tablespoon (3g) finely chopped dill
Mayonnaise:
2 egg yolks
1.5 tablespoons (28g) dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons(11g) finely grated pecorino romano
2 cloves garlic grated
2 tablespoon (24g) water
1 tablespoon (14g) lemon juice
1 cup (210g) vegetable oil
BIG MCCHICKEN:
2 buns
2 mcchicken patties
1lb (454g) thick cut bacon
1 slice American cheese
1 slice Swiss cheese
Dressed shredduce
Mayo (mix with 2 tablespoons (30g) sriracha, and seasoning)
Fried onions
Fried Onions for Big Chicken:
2 cups (440g) buttermilk
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2.5 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
Salt to taste
Frying oil @350f
INSTRUCTIONS:
McChicken:
Buns:
Pour in water and whole milk into a microwavable container and microwave on high until the liquid is 95° Fahrenheit (36°C). Then, mix in the instant yeast until it dissolves.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread flour, amylase enzyme, fine sea salt, sugar, and diastatic malt powder.
Turn the standmixer to “Medium Low” and slowly pour in the wet mixture from Step 1 into the stand mixer. After the wet mixture is all in, add a large egg and an egg yolk.
Mix the dry and wet mixture until it forms a dough. Then add the softened unsalted butter and continue mixing until it is a smooth homogenous dough. After it is homogenous, take the dough out of the processor and knead by hand. This takes about 3-5 minutes.
Place the dough in a container covered with plastic wrap to rise at room temperature for 1 hour. For best results, leave in the refrigerator covered overnight. After the dough has risen, punch it down, and cut evenly sized pieces weighing approximately 80-90g each. Then roll into a nice, round, balls.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C).
Line two sheet trays with parchment paper and load each ball onto the sheet trays with a maximum of 6 buns per tray. Cover with greased plastic wrap and proof at room temperature for 55 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine one egg with a splash of water and whisk until homogenous. Lightly brush each bun with this egg wash before placing them into the oven for 17 minutes.
Once the buns are removed, immediately brush each bun with melted unsalted butter, and cool completely on a wire rack.
Chicken Patty:
Cut the boneless and skinless chicken breast and pork fat back into small portions that fit in a meat grinder. Run those small portions into a meat grinder until all the meat has been ground.
To the chicken farce, add kosher salt, MSG, sugar, sage powder, ground white pepper, garlic powder, celery powder, and onion powder. Mix together using your hands (I recommend gloves*link here*) until thoroughly and evenly combined. It should be emulsified with the fat and the meat. Almost like a smooth paste.
Divide the meat into ten 4oz balls. Flatten each ball into a patty just slightly larger than the width of the buns. If it looks like the patties will be too big for the buns, use a ring mold to cut off the excess.
Place the patties on generously greased sheet trays lined with parchment paper, and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
Fill a large dutch oven halfway with vegetable oil and heat the oil to 350°F (177°C)
Add panko bread crumbs to a food processor. Grind until the crumbs are about 50% finer than they come packaged. Pour the fine crumbs into a bowl. In another bowl, add two eggs, whisked together until homogenous. In a third bowl, pour in all purpose flour.
Grab a patty, completely coat the chicken in flour, then in the egg, then in the bread crumbs.
Fry the patties 2-3 at a time for 3-4 minutes, or until the bubbling subsides. Drain on a wire rack, and salt to taste before assembly.
Dressed Shredduce:
In a large bowl, combine the finely sliced iceberg lettuce with thinly sliced chives, finely chopped dill, and the zest of one lemon. Toss together and keep chilled until assembly.
Mayonnaise:
In a tall container or glass, combine two egg yolks, dijon mustard, two cloves of garlic (grated), pecorino romano (grated), water, and lemon juice in that order. Then add salt to taste.
Pour vegetable oil into the mixture, and use a hand blender to beat the mixture. It will turn homogeneous fairly quickly. Once it is the consistency of mayo, it is finished.
(Optional) Add pepper to taste.
Assembly:
Cut each of the buns in half, and toast nicely in your preferred manner.
After the buns are toasted, add a generous amount of mayo on the toasted sides.
Lay the fried chicken patty on the bottom bun and top with dressed lettuce. Finally, victoriously crown the McChicken with the top bun.
BIG MCCHICKEN:
Mix in sriracha and any hot pepper seasonings into the mayo from the original McChicken recipe.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and cook enough bacon to have two pieces per sandwich. Once cooked to your preference, let dry on paper towels.
Fried Onions for Big Chicken:
Fill a large dutch oven halfway with vegetable oil. Heat this oil to 350°F (177°C).
Slice one onion very thinly on a mandoline into a medium-sized bowl.
Pour all of the buttermilk on top of the onions. Toss the onions in the buttermilk and keep them submerged.
In a separate bowl, add the all-purpose flour. Toss the buttermilk-soaked onions into the flour, and place on a pan until all the onions are coated in flour.
Drop the onions in the hot oil gently for 2 minutes, or until crispy. Drain on a paper towel and season with salt to taste.
Assembly:
Split and toast both the top and bottom buns. Once toasted, spread mayo on both.
On the bottom bun, stack swiss cheese (melt with a blowtorch), a McChicken Patty, a layer of american cheese (also melt with a blowtorch), a couple pieces of bacon, a mound of fried onions. Lastly, crown the big Mcchicken with the top bun, and enjoy!
