Southern Chicken and Biscuit Sandwich

Southern Chicken and Biscuit Sandwich



Sometimes you just crave these comfort foods, and southern food being my favorite type of food I had been craving this sandwich for some time. My commitment to cook my own meals and know exactly what I am putting into my food and body makes creating these foods a lot of fun. I researched chicken recipes for a while, and I wanted a chicken that more resembled the chicken at Chic-Fil-A then fried and battered chicken, and I think that I created a recipe that is very close.

If you're going to indulge in baked goods, fried foods and overall indulgent comfort food then I think the only way to do it is to make it from scratch, then you won't feel quite so guilty!

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
2 cups flour
3 TBL powdered sugar
2 TBL Paprika
1 TSP Cayenne Pepper
1 TBL Garlic Powder
1 TBL Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper
2 Cups Pickle Juice
3 eggs
Oil for frying
For Sandwich:
Biscuits (Best Ever Biscuits)
Pickle Slices
Honey Mustard

Instructions:

Cut chicken breasts into chunks, and pound until even thickness

Place in bowl or ziplock bag and pour in pickle juice. Let marinate 1-4 hours. This is a very strong vinegar mixture so I wouldn't let it sit much longer. In fact I used store bought pickles instead of my homemade canned pickles for this very reason, the brine is much stronger than mine.

Mix up dry spices.
Pour off most of the pickle juice and add 3 beaten eggs

Heat up frying oil to 375 degrees.

Take chicken pieces and dredge into flour mixture, then place in your oil. Let brown on both sides cooking for 4-5 minutes per side. You can keep your pieces in a 200 degree oven until they are all finished frying.

To Assemble:

Take your warm biscuit and split in half, then put the honey mustard on one half and a few pickle slices on the other. Place chicken and close up your sandwich. Delicious!

Best Ever Biscuits

Best Ever Biscuits
Makes: Approx. 12



I've tested and tried biscuit recipes for years and years always wanting to make a light and fluffy biscuit that was moist and tender, but I usually could not get the combinations right, until I used a recipe that called for yeast, low and behold it creates a beautiful light and tender biscuit, and I've finally come up with my version of the best biscuit ever.

Ingredients:

5 cups all purpose flour

1 packet of yeast- bloomed (1/4 cup warm water and 1/2 teaspoon sugar to bloom)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup cold leaf lard (see below)

2 cups buttermilk  

Fresh herbs or spices if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bloom yeast in small bowl until it has tripled on size. Leave on counter.

Mix all dry ingredients.

Cut in cold lard with a pastry cutter or large fork until lard pieces resemble the size of peas.

 I purchase this gallon of lard from an organic hog farm in Minnesota, and it lasts for at least a year in the freezer. It is high quality, non-hydrogenized leaf lard and there is nothing better for biscuits, or frying for that matter. I don't use vegetable shortening ever, it is foul rancid crap that is the real cause of cancer in this country.

Add in the yeast and buttermilk.

Make sure your buttermilk is cold. 

Mix lightly until formed then turn onto a floured surface.

Roll into desired thickness and then use a biscuit cutter to cut. (*TIP: Do not twist the cutter when cutting through dough, go straight down or you will pinch the sides and your biscuit wont rise properly)

Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Brush on melted butter fresh out of the oven.

Depending on the size of your biscuit cutter, my recipe made 12 large biscuits.

Light fluffy and beautiful!

BBQ Shrimp

BBQ Shrimp

Serves: 4+

Ingredients:

2 lbs raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup butter

4 tablespoons chili sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

1 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne

1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

 5 minced garlic cloves

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except shrimp into a saucepan and let simmer for 10 minutes

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Arranged shrimp in large casserole dish or cast iron skillet.

Pour sauce over shrimp.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes

Serve with crisp salad and crusty french baguette.

Crunchy Honey Soy-Glazed Pork Chop

Crunchy Honey Soy-Glazed Pork Chop
Serves: 4


Everyone knows how to make a breaded and fried pork chop, this is nothing new to me, I make pork chops occasionally, the interesting thing about this recipe is the sauce/glaze that the fried pork chop is coated in after cooking. I found the idea on Pinterest and adjusted the glaze to suit my own tastes.



Ingredients:

4 Boneless Pork Sirloin Chops
Buttermilk for breading





Breading:



1 cup flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Toss pork chop flour and spices mixture, then in buttermilk, and then in flour mixture again





Heat a skillet on the stove with about a half inch of olive oil covering the bottom. You will want to  regulate the temperature here so that the chops do not brown too quickly on the outside before they are fully cooked on the inside. I find just below medium heat works well. Fry them gently for about 4 or 5 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. I placed mine in a warm oven on a rack (200 degrees) after frying to keep them warm and crispy.




 When you are finished cooking all the chops, dip the cooked chops into the Honey Soy Sauce (recipe below).





Honey Garlic Sauce:

2-3 whole smashed garlic cloves
1 cup honey
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Simmer together for 5-10 minutes,  watching carefully as it simmers because it can foam up over the pot and create a huge mess.

The sauce will thicken as it cools, so make sure that you are using warm sauce to coat easily.



Serve with your favorite sides, it is sweet, salty and a bit spicy, but mostly, it is delicious!