Fried chicken sandwich

By: Raph Rashid
From: Hungry For That
Makes: 4
Photographer: Lauren Bamford

In an issue of Lucky Peach magazine, there was an article about foods that benefit from being chilled in the fridge overnight. The fried chicken rated the highest and got me thinking about other refrigerated leftovers that I love. They include cold sausage, pizza and meatballs. I will happily eat these in a sandwich, but mostly I just stand by the fridge with the door open and snack while keeping an eye out so I don’t get busted by Beci.

With this sandwich, no more sneakiness is needed – it stands up in its own right. The smoked maple syrup is optional and will flip the taste completely. Of course, you can totally eat the fried chicken hot, but I prefer it cold in this sandwich. This is also the only time that I will say a light brioche roll is pretty ideal.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
	oil, for deep-frying
150g	self-raising flour
2 teaspoons	hot paprika
2 teaspoons	cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons	mustard powder
	salt
750g	boneless chicken thighs, skin left on, cut into even flat pieces
	whole egg mayonnaise, to serve
4	brioche rolls or soft white burger buns
	smoked maple syrup, to serve (optional) (see recipe note)

Cucumber salad

Quantity	Ingredient
2	lebanese cucumbers, seeded and shaved into ribbons
1	small hot chilli, thinly sliced
pinch	poppy seeds
1	eschalot, diced
1 tablespoon	white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon	salt
1/4 teaspoon	caster sugar
1 tablespoon	olive oil
	lemon juice, to taste

Method

Heat the oil in a frying pan to 160°C, or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden brown in 25 seconds.
Combine the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, mustard powder and 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Coat the chicken with the flour mixture then give it a good shake to remove any excess flour.
Fry the chicken for 5–6 minutes on each side, or until the coating is crisp and golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Drain on paper towel.
Lightly sprinkle salt over the chicken and try some to check the seasoning. Let the rest cool then put it in the fridge to chill. Pull the chicken out of the fridge 10–20 minutes before you want to serve it.
Meanwhile, make the cucumber salad. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
To assemble, spread some mayo on each brioche roll. Top with some of the cucumber salad and cold fried chicken, and drizzle over some maple syrup, if using.