I’ve never fried chicken before, as I found it a bit intimidating, but over the long weekend I figured I would give it a shot! This sandwich was inspired by one I saw on Bon Appetit. I used a mixture of arugula and red cabbage for the slaw on my version, and left out the onions and jalapenos. For the actual frying, I used a canola and coconut oil mixture that I recently picked up at Whole Foods. I thought it would be a nice alternative to use, rather than ALL canola oil. Overall, pretty happy with my first fried chicken sandwich! Could get dangerous that I know how to make these now though. My beach bod might be it’s own special shape this summer….aka the shape of a fried chicken. Worth it!

Ingredients: (makes 2 sandwiches)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half crosswise
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 buttermilk (neat trick, if you don’t have buttermilk you can use 3/4 cup whole milk and 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar – let it sit for 5-10 mins and you have yourself buttermilk!)
High heat oil for frying (I used Canola/Coconut oil mix)
2 brioche or hamburger buns
Butter, for toasting buns
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup arugula
1/4 cup bread & butter pickled, chopped into large chunks, as well as some of the juice.
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon hot sauce (I used Cholula)

Start by making the slaw. Mix together the cabbage, arugula, and bread & butter pickles and juice. Place in fridge until needed. Next make the spicy mayo by simply mixing the mayo and hot sauce together. Also place in fridge.

In a shallow bowl mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Place the buttermilk in separate shallow bowl. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.

In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat 1/2 inch of oil to 350 degrees using a deep fry thermometer. Carefully add both pieces of chicken to the oil and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to absorb the remaining oil. Or alternatively you can place on a wire rack with a plate underneath.

In the meantime, butter both sides of the bun and toast in a pan for a minute or so.

To assemble, spread some of the spicy mayo on the bottom of the bun and top with the fried chicken, followed by the slaw. Enjoy!