Recipe courtesy of Cheryl Day

Sweet Tea-Brined Fried Chicken on a "Biscone"

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 1 day 1 hr 5 min
  • Prep: 25 min
  • Inactive: 1 day
  • Cook: 40 min
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Sweet Tea Brine:

Egg Wash:

Biscone:

Scallion Butter:

House Seasoning:

Directions

  1. For the brine:
  2. Bring the cold water to a hard boil and remove from the heat. Add the tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add the sugar; stir until dissolved. Add the lemons and kosher salt; stir to dissolve. Put in a nonreactive bowl and refrigerate to chill for 8 to 12 hours. 
  3. Put the chicken in the brine, cover and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours. Drain the chicken.
  4. In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 350 degrees F.
  5. Put the flour into a shallow bowl. Add the cornstarch, black pepper, if using, and House Seasoning. Add the buttermilk and the hot sauce to a second dish. Dredge the chicken in the buttermilk, and then the flour mixture. Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil and fry until golden and fully cooked. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm until ready to serve.
  6. In a small bowl add the egg and stir, then add the milk and salt and mix well to combine.
  7. For the biscone:
  8. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  9. Add all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a fork or pastry blender until the butter is the size of peas and some larger pieces. Gradually add in the cold buttermilk until it is just combined. Stir in the cheese. Do not overwork the dough.
  10. In the same bowl, pat down dough and dust the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Using an ice cream scooper, arrange scoops of the biscone mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with egg wash and bake, turning halfway through, until the tops are golden brown about 18 to 20 minutes.
  11. For the butter:
  12. In a small bowl add the butter and scallions. Using a hand-held electric mixer, combine until well incorporated.
  13. To assemble:
  14. Split the biscones in half and smear with scallion butter. Serve as a sandwich with the chicken breasts.

House Seasoning:

  1. Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Cook’s Note

Make sure the brine is good and cold before adding the 6 chicken breasts.