This recipe may look simple, but getting there took two years! There were so many variables: how to season the flour, the marinade, the sauce? Spicy or sweet? Our core question was: What makes a great chicken sandwich? The chicken! Where to find enough good, all-natural meat? And how to portion it? The ideal for 4 is: 2 thinly sliced skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved crosswise, about 6 oz. each. At the Shacks we steep the chicken in a tenderizing sous vide bath; at home, it’s a buttermilk marinade.
• ON-DEMAND: Listen to Faith’s conversation with Shake Shack creator Danny Meyer about the Shake Shacks in our region. •
Reprinted from Shake Shack by Randy Garutti and Mark Rosati. Copyright © 2017 by Shake Shack Enterprises, LLC. Principal photographs copyright © 2017 by Christopher Hirsheimer. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 small shallot peeled and sliced
- 1/2 small jalapeño pepper halved
- 1/2 small clove garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3-1/2 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2-1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 2 thinly sliced, skinless boneless chicken breasts, about 6 oz. each, halved crosswise
- canola oil for deep frying
- 4 tablespoons Buttermilk Herb Mayo (recipe follows)
- 4 hamburger potato buns, buttered and toasted
- 12 round kosher dill pickle slices
- 2 pieces green leaf lettuce, shredded in long strips
- For the Buttermilk Marinade: mix together all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- For the Seasoned Flour: whisk together all ingredients in a deep wide dish. Set aside.
- Add the chicken breasts to the bowl of buttermilk marinade. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
- Lift one piece of chicken at a time from the marinade, and dredge really well in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess flour.
- Return the chicken to the marinade, fully submerge one more time, then dredge again in the seasoned flour. Shake off excess flour and set aside. Discard the marinade.
- Pour the oil into a heavy, deep pot to a depth of 4 inches. Heat over medium heat until the temperature of the oil reaches 350°F on a candy thermometer.
- Use a wire spider or slotted spoon to carefully lower the chicken into the hot oil. Fry 2 pieces of chicken at a time until the crust is deep golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain.
- Spread the Buttermilk Herb Mayo on the bottom of the bun. Add 3 pickle slices and a quarter of the shredded lettuce. Transfer the chicken to the prepared buns and serve.
Buttermilk Herb Mayo
Makes 2 cups
2 cups Hellman’s mayonnaise
2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped chives
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Put all the ingredients into a medium mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
