from Heydays at the June Motel
In the hottest collab of the season, our Old Bay Fried Chicken steals our Heydays Smash Burger bun and runs off with some shrettuce. Pour some spicy mayo on it and call it a scandal! This sandwich has it all. We should put it on the menu. This is another recipe that requires frying in a pretty serious amount of oil. It can be dangerous, so you need to keep it together and pay attention. That said: have fun!
Note: You’ll need to start this recipe the day before you want to enjoy it.
Ingredients
4 deboned, skin-on chicken thighs
1 tbsp (15 mL) kosher salt
1 tbsp (15 mL) freshly ground
black pepper
4 potato rolls
¼ cup (60 mL) salted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp (45 mL) rice flour
4 cups (1 L) neutral cooking oil (sunflower oil is great)
12 slices of dill pickle
½ cup (125 mL) mayonnaise
3 tbsp (45 mL) your favourite cayenne pepper hot sauce
½ head of iceberg lettuce finely chopped into shrettuce
Directions
Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Place in a resealable container in the fridge overnight. In a pinch, this can be done 2–3 hours in advance with a slightly less desirable outcome.
In a small bowl, stir together the mayo and hot sauce. Refrigerate until you are ready to form the sandwiches.
Set up your breading station: Place the buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Combine the all-purpose flour and rice flour in another shallow bowl. (Note: The rice flour provides that extra crunch that is truly wonderful. Just using all-purpose flour would be sufficient, but the rice flour really gives the sandwich that extra touch of divinity.)
Fill a cast iron pan or deep frying pan with about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of oil. Place it over medium heat and bring it up to 250°F (121°C).
Submerge the chicken in the buttermilk, and then transfer it to the flour mixture, coating each piece thoroughly. Place on a plate until you’re ready to fry all the pieces. Using tongs, carefully place each piece of chicken in the hot oil. Monitor the temperature of the oil and do your best to maintain 250°F (121°C). After 10 minutes, flip the chicken and cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until the (cont’d)
Internal temperature of the chicken reaches 175F (80C). Transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined plate.
Place a frying pan over medium heat. Spread a nice coating of soft butter on the inside of each bun. Toast the buns cut-side down in the pan until nicely golden brown.
Build your sandwich: Spread the spicy mayo on each interior part of the bun. Place the chicken on the base. Then 3 slices of pickles. Then a mittful of shrettuce. Then close the bun lid. This was no small feat to put together. Congratulations! Enjoy.
Makes 4 sandwiches
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: I like brioche buns for this kind of sandwich – everyone has their preferences! I also like to add a slice of gruyere cheese to add to the messiness. Bring on summer fun!
Excerpted from Heydays by Freddy Laliberté, Evan Baulch, Katie Laliberté, and Emma Baulch, 2024, published by House of Anansi Press. Reprinted with permission from the publisher. Heydays at The June Motel – House of Anansi Press