Best Sweet Tea Brined Chicken Sandwich Recipes

SWEET TEA-BRINED FRIED CHICKEN ON A "BISCONE"

Steps:

• For the brine:
• 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.
• Put the chicken in the brine, cover and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours. Drain the chicken.
• In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 350 degrees F.
• 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.
• In a small bowl add the egg and stir, then add the milk and salt and mix well to combine.
• For the biscone:
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• 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.
• 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.
• For the butter:
• In a small bowl add the butter and scallions. Using a hand-held electric mixer, combine until well incorporated.
• To assemble:
• Split the biscones in half and smear with scallion butter. Serve as a sandwich with the chicken breasts.
• Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

SWEET TEA BRINED CHICKEN WITH PEACHES, MINT AND ARUGULA

Steps:

• Combine 4 cups water with the sugar, ginger, and 1/4 cup salt in a large pot. Halve the lemon, squeeze the juice from half and add the juiced half. Reserve the remaining lemon half. Bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat and stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add 3 cups of ice to cool the mixture to room temperature, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and make sure they are submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 16 hours.
• Remove the chicken from the fridge and remove from the brine. Pat dry.
• Prepare a grill for medium indirect heat: For gas grills (with 3 or more burners), turn all the burners to medium-high heat; after about 15 minutes turn off one of the middle burners (2 if you have a grill with 4 or more burners) and turn the remaining burners down to medium. For charcoal grills, bank one chimney starter-full of lit and ashed-over charcoal briquettes to one side of the grill. Set up a drip pan on the other side to avoid flare-ups. The grill should be around 350 degrees F so adjust the burners or air-flow vents as necessary to maintain that temperature. (Be sure to consult the grill manufacturer's guide for the best results.)
• Lightly oil the grates of the grill and lay the chicken pieces, bone-side down, on the indirect heat side of the grill. Cover and cook until the skin is golden and the chicken is cooked about three-quarters of the way (130 to 135 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer), 20 to 25 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces so they are skin-side down and continue indirect grilling until the chicken is cooked through and reads 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, lightly oil the flesh of the peaches and the remaining lemon half and place flesh-side down on the direct side of the grill. Grill until marked but not too soft, about 2 minutes. Turn the peaches (leave the lemon flesh-side down) and grill just until marked on the other side, about 1 minute more. Remove the peaches and lemon from the grill. Slice the peaches into wedges. Squeeze the lemon into a small bowl and whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the arugula with the mint, peaches and the grilled-lemon vinaigrette. Serve with the chicken.

SWEET TEA BRINED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• To make the brine: Zest, then quarter the lemon. Put the lemon zest and quarters in a saucepan. Add the tea, sugar, and salt. Simmer the mixture over medium-high heat until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add 1 quart of ice water and the chicken. Brine the chicken in the refrigerator for 48 hours. Drain the chicken and blot dry.
• Combine 2 cups flour, the masa harina, crab boil seasoning, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat the 8 eggs with the buttermilk. Put the remaining 2 cups of flour in a third bowl.
• Prepare a breading station by lining up the bowl of flour, then the bowl containing the egg and buttermilk mixture, and finally the bowl of seasoned crust mixture. Roll the chicken in the flour, then the egg mixture, and then the crust then put the legs and thighs in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Fill a large deep pan with enough oil to completely submerge the chicken. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 300 degrees F. Add the chicken and cook until it is golden and the juices run clear, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain the chicken on a rack then serve.