Chicken-fried chicken sandwich

Method

1. To make the seasoned flour, put the crackers in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs (but not too fine). Combine the cracker crumbs with the remaining seasoned flour ingredients in a large shallow bowl and mix well.
2. Cut each chicken breast in half crossways. Place the chicken pieces between two sheets of plastic wrap, flatten with a meat mallet or rolling pin to 1 cm thickness. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
3. In another large shallow bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs. With one hand, take a piece of the tenderised chicken and dip it in the egg mixture. Then place it in the bowl of seasoned flour. With the other dry hand, sprinkle more flour on the other side of the breast, and coat it thoroughly. Shake off any excess flour. Then repeat the egg dip and flour coating one more time. Place the well-coated chicken on a tray and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
4. Heat about 5 cm of the oil in a wok or large saucepan over a medium–high heat until a small fleck of flour dropped in the pan sizzles. In batches, fry the chicken for 3 minutes on each side or until cooked and golden. Remove the chicken and place on a wire rack over paper towel to catch the oil.
5. To make the gravy, drain most of the oil from the pan, leaving behind 2 tablespoons of the oil and all the caramelised bits. Sprinkle the flour over the drippings and start whisking, cooking for about 2 minutes until a dark roux is formed. Add the milk slowly, whisking continuously until lump-free. Reduce the heat to medium–low and keep whisking until the gravy has thickened. Season with salt and pepper then pour into a gravy jug.
6. Cut the burger buns in half horizontally, place a handful of lettuce on the bun bases, then a few slices of tomato and the fried chicken. Drizzle with the gravy and sandwich with the bun tops.