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Fried Chicken Sandwiches

Source of Recipe

From "Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food" by Rick Rodgers


Recipe Introduction

"The best fried chicken cutlets are always crisp, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. Here, they are the stars of hearty sandwiches topped with dill pickles and crisp lettuce, a nod to similar ones you might find in luncheonettes throughout the South. Low-fat mayonnaise and whole-wheat buns make this deep-fried favorite a little lighter."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon sweet or hot paprika, preferably Hungarian or Spanish
â—¦ 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each)
â—¦ 2 large eggs
â—¦ ½ cup whole milk
â—¦ 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ Peanut or canola oil, for frying
â—¦ 4 soft torpedo or sandwich rolls, split
â—¦ Mayonnaise, for spreading
â—¦ 1 or 2 dill pickles, cut into 12 slices
â—¦ 4 large leaves red-leaf lettuce


Recipe

Mix together the salt, pepper, and paprika. Using a meat pounder, pound the chicken breasts until they are a uniform ½ inch thick. Cut each breast in half lengthwise, and sprinkle the pieces evenly with the salt mixture. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, or wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Have ready a rimmed baking sheet. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Put the flour into a second shallow bowl. One at a time, coat the chicken pieces with the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip into the egg mixture, allowing the excess to drip off. Coat with flour a second time, again shaking off the excess. Transfer to the baking sheet.

Preheat the broiler.
Pour oil to a depth of ½ inch into a large cast iron or other heavy frying pan and heat over medium-high heat to 375° F on a deep-frying thermometer. Set a large wire rack on another rimmed baking sheet and place near the stove.

In batches if necessary to avoid crowding, carefully slip the chicken pieces into the hot oil and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Using tongs or a slotted spatula, transfer to the rack to drain.

Meanwhile, place the rolls, split side up, on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler until lightly crisped, about 1 minute. Transfer the toasted rolls to plates. Spread mayonnaise on the cut sides of the rolls. Divide the fried chicken, pickles, and lettuce evenly among the rolls. Serve at once.

Makes 4 sandwiches



• These sandwiches are also delicious topped with slaw instead of pickles and lettuce.