Recipes

Sarah Simmons’ Fried Chicken Biscuit

By: Hannah Lee Leidy

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Photo by Forrest Clonts

Sarah Simmons, the owner of Columbia’s Rise Gourmet Goods and Bakeshop, refreshes the traditional egg sandwich with a deviled egg sauce. The key to Simmons’ chicken is the brine, which is well worth the one- or two-day wait to keep the chicken juicy after frying.

recipe

yields

Serves 6

Brine

½ cup celery salt
¼ cup black pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons cayenne
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
6 boneless chicken thighs
Note: Start brining the chicken one to two days before you plan to serve it.

Deviled Egg Sauce

15 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
Apple cider vinegar (optional)

Spicy Mayo

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sriracha

Dredge

1 pound flour
1½ ounces cornstarch
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt

For Assembly

Vegetable oil for frying
2 cups buttermilk
6 biscuits
Dill pickles

Special equipment: Deep-fry thermometer

steps

Brine the chicken: Combine dry brine ingredients and toss with chicken thighs to coat. Allow chicken to brine in refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours.
Make the deviled egg sauce: Halve eggs and remove yolks. Place warm yolks and ¼ of whites in a food processor and add mayonnaise, buttermilk, mustard, and salt. Blend until very smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. If under-seasoned, add a splash of apple cider vinegar instead of more salt. Refrigerate until ready to assemble biscuits.
Make the spicy mayo: Combine ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to assemble biscuits.
Dredge and fry the chicken: Add 1 inch of oil to a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dredge ingredients and sift mixture to remove any lumps. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk and eggs until combined. Dip chicken thighs into buttermilk to coat, shake off extra liquid, then into the flour mixture, patting down gently to coat evenly and completely.
When oil reaches 350 degrees, slowly add breaded chicken. Fry on each side for 4 to 5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Thicker thighs can be finished in the oven on a rack over a sheet pan for 6 to 8 minutes.
Build each biscuit with spicy mayo, fried chicken, pickles, and deviled egg sauce. Serve immediately.

From Birds on Biscuits.

Date Published: 05.14.20