fried chicken @ home

recipe @ home | simple fried chicken sandwich | twelve ingredients

the market cashier said, “beer?”

“yes,” i respond. “i wish to fry something.”

and now my action makes so much sense.

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i am buying beer — which i never do.

there is a deviation from my normal behavior, and it is noticeable.

i am purchasing a little to make a deep fry batter.

beyond that, i do not drink.

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“wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” (proverbs 20:1)

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this is a simple fried chicken sandwich, so we can still enjoy fried chicken after becoming vegan.

the fried chicken alone makes some pretty great chicken nuggets when cut up smaller too!

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recipe

makes three sandwiches.

ingredients:

for the fry batter

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup beer

• 1 tablespoon sea salt

• 1 tablespoon paprika

• 1 tablespoon onion powder

• 4 teaspoons garlic powder

• 2 teaspoons black pepper

for dredging

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

main ingredients

• 3 vegan hamburger buns

• 3 ounces lightlife smart tenders plant-based chicken (3 tenders)

• 3 sandwich pickles

• 2 cups olive oil

• 5 tablespoons vegan buttery spread (earth balance vegan buttery spread in a container, not in stick format)

instructions:

1. place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

2. make the fry batter:

   • place all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.

   • dry whisk the contents.

   • pour the beer in and whisk until slightly clumpy.

3. place the dredging flour into a separate mixing bowl.

4. fry the chicken:

   • pour the olive oil into a small stainless steel pot. heat at medium-high. the temperature need only be 300 degrees fahrenheit — it does not need to reach the conventional deep fry temperature to work.

   • rinse the tenders and pat each piece dry with clean paper towels.

   • dip each tender in the dredging flour and then into the batter.

   • using tongs, carefully lay one tender at a time into the pot. small batch frying works better.

   • keeping an eye on the tenders, flip the tenders over in the pot if necessary.

   • when fried enough, use a clean set of tongs to remove the tenders from the pot.

   • lay the tenders onto a plate covered with clean paper towels to soak up excess oil and let the tenders dry and crisp up.

5. toast the buns:

   • separate each hamburger bun and spread a layer of buttery spread on the inside of each half.

   • place the buns butter-side up on a quarter sheet pan.

   • heat for 6 minutes.

6. assemble:

   • lay the base of a bun on a plate.

   • dry the sandwich pickles with clean paper towels. cut a sandwich pickle in half. place both halves on the bun.

   • take one fried chicken tender and cut it in half. lay in on top of the pickles.

   • add the top of the bun.

   • repeat for each sandwich.

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“…neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the Lord your God.” (deuteronomy 29:6)

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bonus tips:

• to make chicken nuggets, simply cut each tender in half and follow the same frying directions. for the chicken sandwich, i like to keep the tenders whole when coating with batter and deep frying. this is a personal preference.

• i use a stainless steel pot for deep frying. i have not experienced the problem of food sticking to the pot bottom. some people prefer using a non-stick pot, but there are articles written warning about temperature limitations when using a non-stick pot due to the chemicals in the non-stick layer. there are no worries if a stainless steel pot is used.

note:

• i use vegan-friendly new belgium fat tire beer for this recipe.