Hi there,

One of the delights of writing this blog has been how I have reconnected with friends from the past. One of these friends is Beverly. I honestly think I haven’t had contact with her for over 20 years. Bev contacted me and told me she makes this recipe for a fried chicken sandwich that her family swears is better than the one sold at a national fast food chain. Here is a picture of Bev with that chicken loving family. Bev is the beautiful woman with the eyewear.

Intrigued and wanting to catch up with her life, I invited Bev for lunch. The lunch menu became Bev bringing the original sandwich so I could do a test taste. The days when I would find fossilized French fries in my car have long passed and, so, I haven’t had an opportunity to eat at this fast food place. But, to my amazement, the sandwich was delicious and I started to think about where I could find a child to use as an excuse to visit this chain.

My grandchildren aren’t the best choice to take on this clandestine adventure (Luke is a gourmand, and Maya only eats chicken fingers). The only solution was to give the recipe a try. I followed the directions that Bev provided posted on GMA. It is finger licking good. Whoops, that the other place.

Homemade Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and halved crosswise 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons water
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
4 potato sandwich rolls

Directions

Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more. We like to serve these sandwiches topped with shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced onion and dill pickle chips and slathered with mayonnaise.
Combine salt, paprika, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, sage, and cayenne in bowl. Measure out 1 tablespoon spice mixture and set aside. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Using meat pounder, gently pound each chicken piece to even 1/2-inch thickness between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Season chicken all over with remaining 2 3/4 teaspoons spice mixture.
Whisk our, baking powder, and reserved 1 tablespoon spice mixture together in large bowl. Add water to the mixture and rub together with your fingers until water is evenly incorporated and shaggy pieces form. Place egg whites in shallow dish.
Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Working with 1 piece at a time, dip chicken in egg whites to thoroughly coat, letting excess drip back into dish, then dredge in the mixture, pressing to adhere.
Transfer chicken to prepared wire rack and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1 1/2 inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Add chicken to hot oil. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees. Fry, stirring gently to prevent pieces from sticking together, until chicken is golden brown and registers 160 degrees, 4 to 5 minutes, flipping halfway through frying. Transfer to clean wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. 
Serve on rolls.

Recipe originally appeared on the GMA Website courtesy of Cook’s Country

Thanks Bev for sharing this recipe.

Talk soon, ❤️💕 Bernadette