Actual sandwich from Bakesale Betty
Bakesale Betty is a gem in California's East Bay, especially because of their famous Fried Chicken Sandwich. Owned and ran by Alison Barakat. Alison worked at Chez Panisse for 3 years then started to sell her baked goods at farmers markets and soon opened up a bakery in North Oakland Ca with her husband.... If you have not tried this sandwich yet and you are close enough to get to one of their locations, it is an absolute must and it will rock your little world. You will be hooked. There is usually a line out the door and you must go before 2pm or they will run out of this popular sandwich. Make sure to order their frozen lemonade to wash it down with.
So of course, this is one of those things I wanted to try and make myself at home. So instead of a copy cat recipe, I was able to find the exact recipe online. I made it and it came out exactly the same, there was no difference other than you didnt get to sit outside on their cool ironing board tables.....Try it out, you wont be disappointed.
Serves 4
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts , about 6 ounces each
1 quart buttermilk
The vinaigrette
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (Edmond Fallot Dijon mustard is what Betty uses)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil (Bariani extra virgin olive oil is what Betty uses)
The coleslaw
1 small red onion , very thinly sliced
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 jalapenos , seeded, cut in half and sliced crosswise (I've used a green bell pepper instead and it's still wonderful)
¼ cup parsley , chopped
½ green cabbage , core and outer leaves removed, and very thinly sliced
kosher salt
The breading
1 lb all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
1 ½ teaspoons fresh ground pepper
2 quarts vegetable oil , for frying
4 rolls , sliced lengthwise (Betty uses Acme Bakery torpedo rolls)
Directions:
Season chicken breasts with kosher salt. Let sit at least 5 minutes. Fill a wide, shallow nonreactive bowl or casserole dish with buttermilk. Add the chicken and soak in the refrigerator for 1 hour up to overnight.
For the vinaigrette: Combine mustard, vinegar and salt in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil until well blended.
For the coleslaw: Macerate onions in the cup of red wine vinegar, and let sit at least 20 minutes. Remove onions and discard vinegar. Toss onions with jalapeno, parsley, cabbage and salt. Toss with vinaigrette until evenly coated.
To fry chicken: Pour vegetable oil into a large stockpot. Do not fill up more than halfway, or the oil could splatter. Bring oil up to 365°, using a digital thermometer/candy thermometer to monitor the heat. Prepare the the breading while waiting for oil to heat up.
In a wide shallow bowl, mix flour, cayenne, salt and pepper. Pull a chicken breast out of the buttermilk one by one, letting excess drip off, and dredge completely in flour. To create a thick crust, place in buttermilk and dredge in flour a second time. Do not drain or shake off excess buttermilk or flour during the breading process.
When the oil is at 365°, carefully place chicken pieces into oil one by one. Let it cook for a minute before disturbing chicken, then help it “swim” in the oil with tongs, until it is evenly cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken from oil and drain on paper towels. Season immediately with salt.
For the sandwich: Place fried chicken breast on bottom of torpedo roll and top generously with coleslaw.
The results...D-licious
