How to make your own

Here's my sandwich: the Popeyes sandwich is a splash with a nicer bun, fresher pickles, a tasty sauce * and, of course, that crisp and crisp signature Popeyes breadcrumb. Chick-fil-A, meanwhile, has a strong flavor, easily identifiable. The Popeyes sandwich, despite all its window coverings, really does not have the same taste in comparison.

The good news is that we can combine the best aspects of both sandwiches with the methods already available on the Internet. The bad news is that it takes a bit of work. That's why paying $ 5 for chicken frying is a hugely profitable business model, but that's also why they missed sandwiches.

(* Throughout this blog, I refer to the spice Popeyes sandwich. If you have to put an ugly mayo on a chicken sandwich for it to work, then you do not have a sandwich at all. But nominally spicy mayo? Sign me up.)[[[[Editor's note: How dare you say such hurtful things about mayo?]

The chicken

Chick-fil-A and Popeyes both use a complete chicken breast for their sandwiches, but anyone who's ever heard of it knows that the Popeyes version is a much bigger choi. This is a point in his favor, the birds that provide the breasts of the restaurant are not the same as the mutant mega-chickens who sacrifice their pectoral muscles to the meat counter of the grocery store. I used the smallest, most chic and most organic chicken breasts I could find in the name of authenticity, and they were again huge.

Do not do that! For four sandwiches, take two normal sized chicken breasts (about 8 ounces) and butterfly. Remove any super-thin residue for fear that they will turn into drywall when you fry them.

Brine

A sizeable portion of the Chick-fil-A flavor comes from its brine, keeps the chicken tender and juicy, while giving it a sweet and salty flavor. Popeyes can also brine its chicken (no one has ever accused its product of being dry), but I can never identify where it adds flavor.

I went with a standard wet brine, with salt and half the sugar dissolved in cold water. If you follow this path, let the bird's breasts soak for no more than 4 to 5 hours. However, if you wanted to save time, Claire already had the good sense to combine salt and sugar with the seasoning mix in a handy dry brine. It's also a great way to do it, even though I let it last 15 minutes (because we're dealing with breasts and not nuggets). Call it 1-2 hours on dry brine, if you choose this way.

L & # 39; seasoning

It's there that Chick-fil-A packs the rest of its flavor into its sandwich. As noted by our own Claire Lower and Serious Eats, Chick-fil-A very usefully lists their ingredients on their website (Popeyes does not do it). Seeing what is there (and what is not), we can reduce it to a simple mix of paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper and (especially) MSG. Half goes on the pickled chicken, and the other half in the flour dredge. And again, if you prefer dry brining, mix it up at this stage.

Breadcrumbs

This is where we pass the relay to Popeyes, which asked me a little guess. As mentioned, Popeyes does not seem to have any list of ingredients on his website. The only clue they give on their sandwich is a "new" buttermilk coating, so we know this is involved. The rest, I had to fend for myself.

Consider this behind-the-scenes video of Chick-fil-A and it filmed in a Popeyes kitchen. Some differences are apparent. Chick-fil-A soaks their chicken in a mixture of eggs and relatively thin milk, then digs a new small well into their flour drag for each piece of chicken. Popeyes, on the other hand, uses a very thick egg tasting milk, then throws the chicken into a basket full of flour that seems to have already seen dozens of pieces of chicken that day.

These are good clues! First the egg wash. I used three eggs plus one extra yellow to make it very thick. Popeyes says there is buttermilk, so go for some gaffes. The last ingredient comes from an article by Serious Eats on General Tso's homemade chicken: vodka. Because vodka inhibits the formation of gluten and evaporates at a much lower temperature than water, it is perfect for the crisp and almost dazzling crust you'll find on the Popeyes chicken sandwich. Popeyes certainly does not use vodka, but we do not produce them at an approximate speed. You'll appreciate the added support of tightening bread crumbs while eating with the next sandwich, cleaning the spilled oil, and so on.

The last "hack" is an old one: sprinkle a mixture of eggs and mix it with the dredge before the breadcrumbs, simulating a restaurant bread crumb where a lot of egg-soaked chicken is passed. By basting in maybe 3-4 tablespoons of the product, then mixing it with your fingers, you get a much craggier crust, Popeyes-esque. By releasing a new space for each chop, Chick-fil-A misses that and their chicken suffers.

The rest should all be familiar. Take a seasoned chicken breast and dip it in the egg mixture. Dip it in the seasoned flour and use your other hand to squeeze a lot of breadcrumbs on top. Repeat the operation with the other piece of chicken, and it's time to fry.

The fries

Two other things you may have learned in these videos: Chick-fil-A fries in pressure appliances, which – hahahaha – no, you have none. Popeyes, on the other hand, makes fries in regular 340 degree fryers. We can handle that! Put about, oh, all the cooking oil you have at home in a medium-sized saucepan by filling it about half way. Put it on medium-high heat and watch with an instant-read or candy thermometer. Once it reaches about 355 degrees, one of the breaded breasts disappears.

If, like me, you were stupid enough to use whole breasts, hold on for a while. You probably need 10 to 12 minutes to constantly monitor the oil temperature and adjust. Oh, and you can also literally be lifting half of the chicken from the oil, to keep the thinnest part from overcooking.

Otherwise, if you were smart and used breasts divided by two, they will be in five or six minutes. Get the first on paper towels, and drop the next one. Try not to eat them immediately, even if you have used whole breasts and they look like giant spare ribs fried with chicken. If you are smart enough not to do it, yours should not be so dark.

Everything else

All that remains is bread, pickles and sauce, which no longer need to think too much.

The bun

Popeyes uses refined buns on Chick-fil-A's natural hamburger bread, which I guess counts as an improvement. You can find them wherever fine bread rolls are sold. Toast them in butter.

Pickles

For me, it's one of the biggest differences between sandwiches, and not just because Popeyes gives you more than two. Where Chick-fil-A uses the same salty rounds that you can buy in a jar at the grocery store, Popeyes has a much cooler taste and flavor, almost as if they were pickled quickly a few minutes before the release of the sandwich . I wanted to find a balance between the two, so pickles. It's easy and stupid!

The interesting thing about pickles is that you do not need a recipe. The only requirements for the gherkins are vinegar and cucumbers. Dill is obviously a pillar, but you certainly do not have that. Try mixing equal parts of water and white vinegar in a saucepan with a tablespoon of black pepper, a few crushed cloves of garlic, a teaspoon of mustard powder and a pinch of salt flakes and peppers. red. Simmer the mixture briefly, then pour over half a cucumber cut into slices ¼ inch thick. Weigh them with a paper towel to keep them immersed.

These are delicious in just 15 minutes, but if you let them cool all night in the refrigerator, they will have a familiar feel while maintaining a vibrant freshness.

The sauce

The Popeyes website describes the sauce as a "spicy mayonnaise". Simple enough. Two teaspoons of cayenne plus a teaspoon of "Cajun" seasoning that you have lengthened per cup of mayo have helped to define the color and taste as best as I can remember. You see, the sauce is not really "spicy" at all – I think it's right there because Popeyes believes the sandwich Needs mayo, and Popeyes knows that there are anti-mayo kids, like me, who will not touch what's going on. (I am an easy brand and it suits me.)

Well, that's all. Assemble your sandwiches: low bread, thick layer of sauce, at least four pickles, chicken and finally the saucier roll. Now, eat this sumch in as few bites as possible, because this whole process took you infinitely more time than you thought and you will starve.

But in three or four bites, you have to choke it to admire what your efforts have produced: a crisp, crisp and provocative crust. A salty, salty and distinctly chick-fil-A chicken chunk. Shiny gherkins, fresh and salty. A sauce that is really there. This is the ideal sandwich for fast food, without compromise and available at any time.

Better than Popeyes Sandwich (made four)

ingredients

For the chicken:

• ½ cup of kosher salt
• ¼ cup) of sugar
• 1 liter of water
• 2 chicken breasts skinless and boneless, butterfly and trimmed all parts too thin
• 2 teaspoons of paprika
• 2 tablespoons black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of MSG
• 4 tablespoons buttermilk
• 3 large eggs + 1 yellow
• 2 tablespoons vodka
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 liters of solid cooking oil, such as canola or peanut
• 4 butter buns

For pickles:

• ½ cucumber, cut into ¼ inch slices
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon of ground mustard seeds
• 1 pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 pinch of kosher salt

For the sauce:

• 1 cup mayonnaise (any variety)
• 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning

Instructions

Salt chicken: dissolve salt and sugar in 1 liter of cold water. Place the chicken breasts in a freezer bag and fill them with brine. Place in the refrigerator for no more than 4-5 hours.

Prepare the pickles: mix the water, vinegar, peppercorns, mustard powder, garlic, salt and chili flakes in a small saucepan. Simmer, then pour over the cucumber slices. Thicken them with a paper towel until the mixture cools. They can then be eaten or kept in the refrigerator for about two weeks.

Prepare the sauce: In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cayenne pepper and cajun seasoning until smooth. Put aside.

At the end of chicken brining, prepare the breading station. Mix cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika and MSG in a small bowl. In another, mix eggs, egg yolk, buttermilk and vodka. In a large bowl or tupperware, combine the flour, baking powder and about half of the spice mixture. Pour 3-4 tablespoons of egg mixture into the seasoned flour, mixing with the fingers until it looks like wet sand.

Once the chicken is cooked, mop. Season with the rest of the spice mixture, then brown it. Dip each breast into the egg mixture, then transfer to the seasoned flour. Use your dry hand to flour the chicken, pressing firmly. Repeat the operation with the other halves of the breast and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes so that the breading can freeze and adhere.

Meanwhile, prepare the cooking oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it reads 350-355 ℉ on a thermometer, drop the first chicken breast. Fry for 5 to 6 minutes or until the chicken is golden and at least 160 degrees in the thickest part (the transfer should bring it back to the recommended 165 degrees). Transfer half of the breast to a plate covered with paper towels and repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Assemble the sandwiches starting with the bottom bread, about 2 teaspoons of sauce and four slices of pickles. Garnish with fried chicken, then finish with the bun and 2 teaspoons of sauce.