Governor Tso Chicken Sandwich
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 sandwiches
- Total: 1 hr 30 min (plus overnight brining and pickling time)
- Active: 1 hr 30 min
Ingredients
Chicken Brine:
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup pickle juice
1/4 cup rice flour
1 tablespoon Sichuan Spice Rub, recipe follows
4 chicken breasts
Pickled Cucumbers:
2 cups sliced English cucumbers
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Lemon Ginger Mayo:
2 1/2 cups Japanese mayo, such as Kewpie
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons roasted garlic oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
Apricot Jalapeño Slaw:
1 1/2 cups Japanese mayo, such as Kewpie
1/2 cup Thai chili sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 quart shredded green cabbage
1 quart shredded red cabbage
1 cup thinly sliced dried apricots
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup julienned jalapeño
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons chopped dill
Dredge:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup potato starch
2 tablespoons Sichuan Spice Rub
Frying and Assembly:
1 quart canola oil
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
Sichuan Spice Rub, for sprinkling
4 brioche buns
Sichuan Spice Rub:
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon MSG
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
Directions
- For the chicken brine: Combine the buttermilk, pickle juice, rice flour and spice rub in a large bowl. Place the chicken breasts into the brine mixture and let sit overnight in the fridge.
- For the pickled cucumbers: Toss the cucumbers in the salt and let sit for 2 hours. Then rinse well.
- For the lemon ginger mayo: Whisk together the mayo, lemon juice, lime juice, Dijon mustard, roasted garlic oil, ginger, salt and white pepper in a medium bowl.
- For the apricot jalapeño slaw: Whisk the mayo, chili sauce, sour cream, vinegar and salt in a large bowl. Add the green and red cabbages, apricots, carrot, jalapeño, green onions, sunflower seeds and dill and mix to combine.
- For the dredge: Mix together the flour, potato starch and spice rub in a large bowl. Once the chicken has been brined overnight, place into the dredge and coat well.
- To fry the chicken: Fill a cast-iron pan with enough oil to reach about 2 inches up the side of the pan. Bring the oil to 350 degrees F. Add the chicken breasts and fry until an instant-read thermometer reads at least 165 degrees F at the thickest part of the chicken, 10 to 12 minutes. Once out of the fryer, immediately liberally sprinkle the chicken with some melted butter and Sichuan spice rub.
- To assemble: Brush the buns with some melted butter and grill until golden brown. Add a smear of lemon ginger mayo to the bottom of each bun. Add 4 to 5 cucumber slices. Add the chicken breast, then top with the slaw. Add the top bun and serve.
Sichuan Spice Rub:
- Mix together the cayenne, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cinnamon, MSG, ground mustard, Sichuan peppercorns and white pepper.