Sunny Andersons Fried Sweet Tea Chicken Food

SUNNY ANDERSON'S FRIED SWEET TEA CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the brine
• In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups water, the tea and salt until the salt dissolves
• Squeeze the lemon halves into the pot then add them and the chicken pieces to the pot, submerge and soak for 2 hours at room temperature
• Make the syrup
• In a medium pan over medium heat, combine the tea, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice
• Simmer until reduced and thickened like syrup
• Taste and add a pinch of salt
• Stir in the thyme
• Prepare to fry
• In a large pot, heat 6 inches of oil until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 325° F
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cayenne, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper
• Drain the chicken from the brine and pat dry
• Dust the chicken in the flour and shake off excess
• Dip each piece in the egg, then back in the flour to coat
• Set on a wire rack to let the coating sink in for 15 minutes
• Fry the chicken
• In batches, fry the chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the piece
• Remove from the oil and set on a paper towel-lined plate to drain
• Drizzle with the sweet tea syrup

SUNNY'S SPICY CHICKEN SANDWICH REMAKE

Steps:

• For the marinade/batter: Use kitchen scissors to cut 6 to 7 small horizontal slivers, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep, into each chicken breast, to give them potential for crispies when fried. Set aside.
• Whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, paprika, a nice pinch of salt and plenty of grinds of pepper in a medium bowl. Add to a resealable bag or large bowl along with the chicken and soak for 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Bring the chicken to room temperature before frying.
• Heat several inches of oil in a pot or deep-fryer to 375 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry (reserving the marinade), then set aside. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch and baking powder in a large bowl. Slowly add the marinade liquid while whisking to form a pancake batter consistency. (If you go too far, just add more flour or about 2 tablespoons of water, depending on the texture.) Dust the chicken with some flour, then dunk in the batter to coat. Dust the chicken again with flour, then shake gently and slowly drop into the hot oil. Fry in batches until cooked through and golden on the outside, about 8 minutes. Remove and season with a pinch of salt and rest briefly on a few scrunched paper towels on a plate.
• For the sandwich: Butter both sides of each bun. Toast lightly in a grill pan or in the oven until lightly golden brown and warm, about 2 minutes.
• Stir together the mayonnaise and chipotle in a small bowl. Smear on the cut sides of the bun bottoms, then add the chicken, pickles and the bun tops. Wrap in aluminum foil pouches and let rest for less than 1 minute, then serve.

CIDER-BRINED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together cider and salt until salt dissolves. Add chicken pieces and enough water to coat and soak 1 hour in the refrigerator. Chicken should be completely submerged in brine.
• In a large pot, heat vegetable shortening until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 325 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with a wire rack.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cayenne and black pepper. In a paper bag, shake together flour and cornstarch. Drain chicken from brine and dip in batches first in egg mixture then in flour mixture to coat. Set on wire rack to let coating sit for 10 minutes. In 2 batches, fry chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the piece. Remove from oil to drain on paper towel-lined plate.

SUNNY'S SPICY BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN AND WAFFLES

Steps:

• For the chicken: In a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk, gochujang and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Pour into a resealable plastic bag and add the chicken. Seal and massage the bag to coat the chicken; refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.
• In a large bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Remove the marinated chicken from the bag and shake off the excess marinade. Drop all of the chicken into the flour mixture and toss to coat. Let rest, refrigerated, for 1 hour. Toss again, then rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, followed by 30 minutes at room temperature.
• In a cast-iron pan or deep fryer, add about 2 inches peanut oil and heat to 375 degrees F. Toss the chicken one last time, then shake off the excess flour. In batches, add the chicken gently to the oil and fry until cooked through and the juices run clear, 12 to 16 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• For the waffles: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the salt and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth, then add the milk, vegetable oil and almond extract. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the liquid ingredients and gently stir the batter with a wooden spoon until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the batter.
• Preheat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions. Lightly coat the top and bottom of the iron with cooking spray.
• Pour about 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup batter into the waffle iron. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes depending on the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve the waffles warm with the fried chicken and maple syrup.