A gentleman’s guide to: the best hot chicken sandwich

This sandwich is about as close to perfect as a chicken sandwich can be. There isn’t too much going on in it, but this is one of those times where keeping it simple is the way to go.

The chicken is double dipped in flour that’s seasoned with cayenne and paprika, which creates a perfectly crisp and spicy crust. It’s then topped with some hot sauce and a few pickles. For this recipe I went with bread-and-butter pickles. They have a nice sweet and tangy crunch that complements the spicy chicken quite well.

Now, this would be great simply between two slices of bread, but putting it on a freshly baked buttermilk biscuit takes it to the next level. Not just any biscuit, a jalapeño-cheddar biscuit. They’re flaky, buttery, spicy, and cheesy all at the same time. The Jalapeño seeds are removed so they aren’t too spicy, but they have a subtle heat that you’ll definitely notice.

Don’t worry if you don’t have any baking experience. The biscuits are much easier to make than you’d think and don’t require any special tools. Just follow the recipe and you’re good to go.

2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup buttermilk, 6 tbsp butter, cold, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1-2 jalapeños (seeds removed and finely chopped), 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1lb chicken breasts, 1½ cups flour, 1½ tsp cayenne pepper, 1½ tsp paprika, 1½ tsp salt, 1 cup buttermilk, 2 tbsp hot sauce

The night before you plan to make this, pound out the chicken breasts to an even thickness and cut them in half cross-wise. Place them in a bowl and pour in the buttermilk and hot sauce. Cover and refrigerate. (If you can’t do this the night before, try to do it at least a few hours in advance to allow the chicken to marinate)

To make the biscuits, pre-heat oven to 450°F. In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, jalapeño, and cheddar. Mix everything together and try to distribute the cheese and jalapeño as evenly as possible. Cut the butter into small pieces (I actually like to use a cheese grater and grate the butter in) and combine into the flour mixture until it resembles course meal.

Add in the buttermilk and mix until everything is combined. You can use a spoon but it’s easiest to just use your hands. Dump the dough onto a lightly-floured surface and press it down using your hands until it is about 1/2” thick. Fold the dough and flatten out again. Repeat this 4 times and finish with it at about 3/4″ thick.

Using a cookie cutter or glass (about 21/2″) cut out the biscuits. I usually get 6-7 out of the first round of cuts, and then use the extra pieces to get another 2-3 biscuits. Be careful not to twist as you cut them out, go straight down.

Place the biscuits on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and cook for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top. If you want, you can put them in the fridge for a few minutes before baking while you prep the chicken – this way they come out at the same time.

Get the chicken ready for frying – start by heating the oil to 350°F/177°C. Whisk together the flour, cayenne, paprika and salt in a large bowl and place it next to the bowl with the chicken. Working one at a time, coat chicken in flour, then dip back into the buttermilk, and then coat in an additional layer of flour. Lay the chicken on a parchment paper lined sheet until ready to fry. Fry the chicken, a few pieces at a time for 7-8 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C is reached.

To build the sandwiches, slice biscuits in half and then fill with chicken, some hot sauce, and a few pickles.

For more recipes from Daniel Seidman, visit his website: thechefdan.com

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