"CLOSED ON SUNDAY CHICKEN SANDWICH"

"INGREDIENTS"

for the spicy pickle mayonnaise: 2 large egg yolks 1 garlic clove ¼ cup|68 grams Frank's Red Hot Xtra hot cayenne pepper sauce ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ½ cup|83 grams dill pickle chips, patted dry and packed firmly 1 ½ cups|375 ml grapeseed oil

for the chicken sandwich: 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 jar pickles 5 (1-ounce|28-gram) packets Hidden Valley Ranch original dry salad dressing mix ¼ cup|105 grams granulated sugar 3 tables

poons|30 grams kosher salt canola oil, for frying 1 cup|132 gr

ams all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon espelette pepper 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 tablespoons|59 grams unsalted butter 2 tablespoons|43 grams honey 8 King's Hawaiian sandwich buns or brioche rolls 1 cup spicy pickle mayonnaise

Directions

1. Make the mayonnaise: Slip the egg yolks into the bowl of a small food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the garlic and hot sauce, and process until the mixture looks fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add the salt and all but 2 tablespoons of the pickles and process for another 30 seconds. With the processor running, gradually add 1 tablespoon of the oil, drop by drop, to establish the base for the emulsion. Continue to very slowly drizzle in the oil until the processor makes a gurgling sound and then a quieter, choppy sound as the oil becomes incorporated and the mixture thickens. Turn off the processor and add the rest of the pickles; pulse just to combine. Taste the mayonnaise and adjust the flavor with more salt or hot sauce; you can also adjust the thickness by adding water to thin it out. If you add the ingredients, cover the processor and process for a final 10 seconds. To store, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

1. Make the chicken sandwich: Trim the connective tissue from the chicken breasts. lightly pound the thickest end of the breast to match the rest of the breast in thickness; it's important that the chicken be evenly thick for even cooking. Don't worry if the pounded out breast seem a little thin and larger than the buns; the chicken will shrink and puff up during cooking.

2. Strain the pickles over a large bowl, reserving the pickles and juice separately; you should have about 1 cup of juice. Whisk 2 cups|500 ml of water with 4 packets of the salad dressing mix, the sugar, and 1 tablespoon of the salt into the pickle juice to make a brine. Pour the brine into a large zip-top bag and add the chicken; press out the air, seal, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours. Don't go past 3 hours, though; too much time in the brine will toughen the chicken.

3. Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 350°F. The somewhat low frying temperature is important so that the chicken will cook through completely before the crust gets too dark.

4. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and top with a coming rack.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining packet of salad dressing mix, the remaining 2 tablespoons of salt, the Espelette pepper, and the black pepper.

6. One at a time, pull the chicken breasts from the brine and while still wet, dredge in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour, set the chicken on the rack, and repeat until all the chicken is coated. let the chicken rest until the flour has absorbed the brine and the breading sets and gets a little sticky, about 5 minutes. One by one toss the chicken pieces back into the flour mixture and shake off excess.

7. Deep-fry the breasts until cooked through and GBD, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, thoroughly wash and dry the cooling rack and place over a clean baking sheet. Transfer the cooked chicken to the rack to drain.

8. Heat a large skillet or flat top griddle over medium.

9. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the honey. Bring the mixture to a simmer and remove from the heat. Split open the rolls and brush both cut sides with the honey butter. Toast the rolls in the skillet or on the griddle, cut side down, until golden brown, about 1 minute.

10. Spread a thin layer of the spicy pickle mayonnaise on the bottom half of the outside of the roll and top with a chicken breast. Spread a little more mayonnaise on the chicken and close the sandwich with the top of the roll.