A crispy chicken sandwich is just about the most joyful thing a person can eat. Making chicken escalopes (or “bang bang chicken”, as we called it) was the first thing my mum ever taught me to make, and it still brings me insane amounts of joy to go through the motions of bashing, dipping and frying. I go through cycles of flavours that I become deeply obsessed with, and the two dominating my brainwaves at the moment are sesame and jalapeño, hence their appearance here. And what an appearance!
Serves 4
2 chicken breasts
40g plain flour
1 egg
50g panko breadcrumbs
30g white and black sesame seeds
½ white cabbage
½ bulb of fennel
½ lime
2 spring onions
a big handful of coriander leaves
20g pickled jalapeños
8 tbsp kewpie mayo
2 tsp miso paste
4 seeded brioche buns
salt, pepper and vegetable oil
Sandwich the chicken breasts between two bits of cling film, and bash them to flatten them down to about 3mm thickness.
Pour your plain flour into a bowl along with 1 tsp of salt. Crack your egg into another bowl and beat it to bread it down, then add your panko breadcrumbs and sesame seeds to another and mix them up.
Dip your chicken breasts one at a time into your flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs so that they are totally coated. Pop them in the fridge until you are ready to eat.
Make your slaw. Using a veg peeler, peel your fennel and cabbage into strips, and pop them into a bowl. Add your lime juice and a pinch of salt, and massage them for a couple of minutes to soften them. Finely slice your spring onions on a diagonal (whites and greens), then add this in too, as well as your coriander leaves, pickled jalapeños, and 2 tbsp kewpie mayo. Give it a good mix.
Add your miso paste to a bowl, along with 1 tsp of the jalapeño pickling liquid, and mix it to a paste. Add your remaining 6 tbsp kewpie mayo to the bowl, and give it a good mix.
Halve your brioche buns, then toast them in a large dry frying pan cut side down until they are golden. Remove them from the pan.
Add a good glug of vegetable oil to the same large frying pan, and bring it up to temperature on a medium heat. Put your chicken breasts into the pan, and fry them for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until they are crisp and golden.
Spread a little of the miso mayo onto the base of your buns, then place your chicken on top. Add a good handful of the slaw, then spread the remaining sauce on the top bun, and place this on top. Serve them up!