Blessings From My Kitchen: Hot chicken sliders

Granted the gap from then to now echoes a bit wide, I dare say it was for a purpose. To collectively gather my thoughts, energies and endless scroll of recipes which were getting unwieldily vast, and assign order/ coherence/printed text to each of these is Reason One from a list of many.

Likewise , I don't know whether to call it resolution-mindedness, but I have high hopes at the start of every year. You see, a need to create/present/picture-take/eat all the wonderful stuff that occupy my brain is as crucial as breathing. Adversely, tall aspirations may very well be what keeps me from doing what I'm doing here right now. Thereby, when I do what I do, I surprise myself as much as you.

That being said, Sunday afternoons dedicated to a nation's top sport may not be my thing. But any day requiring unholy levels of food/ drink/dessert while watching a cyborg immune to aging, kind of really is my thing.

Tying to point, when the great dilemma on who did chicken sandwich best took over the country, I jumped on the bandwagon and never wanted to leave. Moreover, the countless miles my car put in to eat a certain chain's crispy cutlet between bread led me to the best quest of my life.

It could be a winner, this chicken sandwich dinner, but you might thank me for its snacking, lunch or post game/ post long-day sustenance prospects which come in tow.

Tenderloin cuts of breast meat are ideal for these hand to mouth mini burgers. After a few hours in a buttermilk bath, pieces reach an elevated moist. Seasoned flour is quite marvelous in that it adheres to pieces. A chicken of unmatched texture, with incredible finger-licking-good attributes.

Accoutrements must be kept minimum. Style sliders with a few pickles, thin slices of lettuce and a smear of mayo. Less really can mean more.

Hawaiian rolls serve two purposes. The sweetness balances perfect with the spiced meat. Likewise, it fits the ideal serving size bill to tack on a few more without tacking on a week's worth of guilt.

Don't let the lack of any of the below spices hinder you. This chicken works astoundingly well in many diverse settings and enhancements. In short, may your palate can be your guide.

I can confidently state crisp, plush chicken is not something you merely enjoy sitting in front of a TV screen, like I'm doing today, or drive miles on end to set straight a craving fix. It's the game plan to keep on file for the rest of your life.

I know you agree :-)

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds chicken tenders or 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced into 1-inch thick strips
2 tbsp grated garlic
salt, about 1-2 tsp for marinade and and 1-2 tsp for the flour coating
1 tsp chili powder or cayenne
½ cup buttermilk
2 tsp soy sauce
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chili flakes
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp black pepper
canola oil for frying

Sauce:

⅓ cup mayonnaise
½ tbsp white horseradish
1 pinch garam masala
½ tsp cayenne

Slider assembly:

16-20 Hawaiian rolls or any smaller burger bun, such as brioche cups
3-4 green lettuce leave, cut into bite sizes
jar of hamburger pickles

Directions:

Add chicken garlic, salt and chili powder in a resealable bag and marinate for 2-4 hours in the refrigerator.
Take chicken out, add buttermilk and soy sauce. Mix well. Keep aside for an additional hour.
Meanwhile, combine flour, salt, onion powder, chili flakes, coriander, black pepper in a wide bowl or container.
Remove pieces of chicken, one at a time, from the marinade and dip pieces into the flour mixture to coat well.
Heat dutch oven or large pot filled with one to two cups oil.
Fry two to three pieces of chicken at a time until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Place fried chicken pieces on paper towels to cool.
Toast rolls in a 400°F oven for 3-5 minutes.
Make the sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Assemble sandwiches by spreading the open sides of the toasted buns with sauce. Top the bottom bun with pickles, lettuce, pickles and fried chicken and the top bun.

Notes: Serving later? Place the fried pieces of chicken on a rack lined baking tray, lined in a 300° F oven until ready to assemble.