She Strengthens

Southern-Style Chicken Sandwiches with a Twist

The Art of Chicken-Frying

Chicken-frying, a traditional Southern technique, isn’t just limited to steak. This shallow pan-frying method, which involves coating thinly pounded cuts of meat in seasoned flour, can be applied to chicken or pork with equally delicious results. In this recipe, we’ll explore a unique take on chicken-frying, featuring crispy chicken breasts, tangy pickled peppers, and creamy mayonnaise, all nestled within a soft hoagie roll.

Patio-Perfect Dinner

With a little planning, you can have this mouthwatering dinner ready in about 40 minutes. The key is to prepare the pickled peppers ahead of time, allowing them to infuse with flavor for at least a day or up to a week. Simply pair them with some classic macaroni salad, and you’ll be enjoying a delightful patio dinner in no time.

Pickled Peppers: The Perfect Accomplice

To create the pickled peppers, you’ll need to start by making a few vertical slits in each pepper. Then, pack them tightly into a jar with a bay leaf, leaving about 1/2 inch of room at the top. Next, toast some mustard seeds and peppercorns in a saucepan until fragrant, before adding vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to create the brine. Pour the brine over the peppers, making sure they’re completely covered, and let them cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the peppers for at least a day or up to a week, shaking the jar periodically to ensure the peppers are fully submerged in the brine.

Crispy Chicken Breasts

To prepare the chicken, combine buttermilk, flour, sugar, salt, paprika, black pepper, baking powder, and ground mustard in separate dishes. Pound each chicken breast to an even thickness, then season generously with salt and pepper. Dip each piece in the buttermilk, letting excess drip off, before coating in the flour mixture. Fry the chicken in hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a wire rack, season with salt, and cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Assembling the Sandwiches

To assemble the sandwiches, stem and thinly slice the pickled peppers. Divide the mayonnaise among the hoagie rolls, spreading it evenly on both cut sides. Place the fried chicken pieces on the rolls, top with shredded iceberg lettuce and pickled peppers, and serve immediately.

Ingredients

For the pickled peppers:

• 12 ounces small sweet peppers
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1 1/4 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 1 1/4 cups cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the chicken:

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
• 2 (8- to 10-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying

To assemble:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 4 soft hoagie rolls, sliced in half horizontally
• 2 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce