Indiana and A Chicken Sandwich

It’s Indiana Day – Again! It’s also National Fast Food Day. Once again, taking both cues, I went in search of the most popular Fast Food Chain in all of Indiana. Would you believe Chick Fil-A came in number 1. More on that in a minute.

One of Indiana’s oldest bars is the Slipper Noodle Inn, established in 1850. It was a stop on the Ungrounded Railroad. During Prohibition, the likes of Al Brady and John Dillinger and their gangs were patrons of the bar. The horse stable at the rear of the building was a popular spot for target practice, among other things. Today several bullets remain embedded in the lower east wall. The Slippery Noodle Inn is also ranked among the top four most haunted places in Indianapolis. There are reports of slaves and prostitutes who died on the premises and have yet to leave.

In the town of Greensburg you just might notice a rather strange site. Some 110 feet above the ground, in the crevices of the courthouse tower’s roof, a tree had somehow managed to take root. The tree was first noticed by the good people of town in the 1870s. Considering the height and what it would have taken to remove the tree, they left it be. Other sprigs began to sprout, so something needed to be done. All but two of the trees were removed. One grew to be 15 feet tall and nearly 5-foot around. While that tree did eventually die, two other trees made their appearance in its place. They have grown happily from the tower roof for over a century now. So next time you are passing through Greensburg, be sure to look up.

Finally, there’s an interesting spot in the road near Amity, Indiana. It’s a grave, in the middle of the road and it’s been there since 1831. Nancy Kerlin married William Barnett in 1807, when she was just 14 years old. She went on to have 11 children before passing away at the age of 38. The family laid her to rest at her favorite place, a small hill overlooking Sugar Creek. Almost immediately after being buried on the hill, a small cemetery began to form around her. Sadly, the county planned to build a road that ran right through the spot, so most of the graves were removed. Nancy’s grandson Daniel, born 15 years after her death, camped out on the grave with a shotgun. The county eventually conceded and built the road around the untouched plot. A concrete slap was placed over her grave to protect her from traffic in 1912. Then in 1982 a historical marker was erected by her great, great-grandson and his family. While generations have fought to guarantee Nancy a peaceful afterlife on her beloved hill, her grave attracts visitors each year on Halloween. Oh and one more thing – Archaeologists recently did a little excavating around the site. It seems Nancy is not alone. There are at least 7 others with her.

Yeah, that’s probably more interesting information than you cared to hear. So let’s talk National Fast Food Day. Our favorite fast food has to be Chick-Fil-A. And it seems that the good folks of Indianan feel the same way. While McDonald’s ranked number 1 for convenience, when it came to actual enjoyment, Chick-Fil-A topped them all. And with good reason. They do one thing only, and they do it right. That’s chicken sandwiches. Real chicken and let’s face it, nothing beats a chicken sandwich made with real, honest to goodness chicken.

Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich
The Chicken
2 boneless Chicken Breasts
1/3 cup Cold Water
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice Concentrate

Butterfly each chicken breast and trim any fat. Set aside.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the water and lemon juice. Nestle the breasts into the lemon water to marinate until ready to dredge.

The Hot and Spicy Egg Dip
2 extra-large Eggs well beaten
1 teaspoon Louisiana Hot Sauce or to taste

In another shallow dish or pie plate, beat the eggs with hot sauce until well combined. Set aside.

The Hot and Spicy Mayonnaise
1 cup Mayonnaise
Louisiana Hot Sauce to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and hot sauce. Taste and adjust flavors as needed. Cover and refrigerate the mayonnaise until ready to use.

The Seasoned Flour
1 tablespoon Powdered Sugar
1 tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
1 tablespoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon dried Dill Weed
1/2 teaspoon Mexican Chipotle Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried Basil
1/4 teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried Thyme
1/4 teaspoon Celery Seeds
1/4 teaspoon Ground Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon dried Rosemary
1 cup Flour

In a bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and all the seasonings EXCEPT the dried Rosemary. Place Rosemary into a spice grinder or coffee mill and grind to a coarse powder. Add to the rest of the seasonings. Whisk to combine. Add flour, whisk to incorporate. Set aside.

Place two wire racks inside rimmed baking sheets. The first is for the chicken once it is ready to fry, the second to hold the chicken in a warm oven until all the chicken has been fried. Set oven to warm and place one of the baking sheets into the oven.

The Sandwich
Vegetable Oil for frying
4 Hamburger Buns
Butter for Buns
4 Green Leaf Lettuce or as needed
4 slices Pepper Jack Cheese or as needed

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat to 350 degrees. Oil should be about deep enough to come up the sides of the chicken without covering completely.

Working with one piece at a time, dredge each chicken piece in the seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Dip chicken into the egg mixture, coating both sides well, allowing excess drip back into the dish. Dredge chicken for a second time in the flour. Place each piece onto the rack to rest until all the pieces that will fit in the skillet have been coated and are ready to fry. Do not crowd the rack or overfill the skillet.

Place chicken pieces into hot oil and fry until golden on bottom, about 3 minutes. Carefully turn pieces over, continue to fry another 3 to 4 minutes. Once fried, transfer to the rack in the warm oven.

Repeat with remaining chicken until all the chicken is ready. Keep warm in the oven until ready to assemble the sandwiches.

Brush buns lightly with soft butter, then toast the buns on a griddle pan until warm and golden. Spread some Chipotle Mayonnaise on inside of both the top and bottom bun. Place some green leaf lettuce on the bottom buns. Set aside.

Slice Pepper Jack Cheese. Lay cheese over as many chicken pieces as desired. Turn oven to broil, let cheese melt over chicken. It will not take long, so keep an eye on the chicken.

Lay chicken over the lettuce leaves, top with the top bun. Slice chicken sandwich in half, serve with French Fries or Onion Rings as desired.

Note: If the chicken is too long for the bun, simply fold over or cut in half to fit. This is great as a “double” chicken sandwich, especially with the cheese between the chicken pieces.

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Your word is for ever, O Lord