Monday, April 22, 2013

Buffalo Chicken

Rob and I share a serious addiction to spicy chicken.

If we come across something that includes the word Buffalo in it, chances are one of us will get it and the other will beg for "just a taste."  We. LOVE. Buffalo. Chicken.


It's kinda hard to make though.  I mean, not really make make, but to get the flavors exactly right.  I've tried periodically but can never seem to find the right recipe, or get the exact balance of flavors with the right amount of heat.

Until now.  Thank you Jeff Mauro!!

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
Recipe ever-so-slightly adapted from Jeff Mauro
Prep time: 5 minutes   Cook time: 15-20 minutes

1 tbsp canola oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 cup your favorite wing sauce, such as Frank's RedHot
French bread loaf
Blue cheese crumbles, optional

Ranch Dressing, optional

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
A little sweet, a little spicy.  Just the way I like it!


2.  Heat the canola oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, paprika, and cayenne.  Season both sides of the chicken with some salt and pepper, and the sugar mixture.
Don't be shy.  Use up all that good seasoning!


3.  Sear both sides of the chicken in the skillet until golden, about 4 minutes. Add in the wing sauce, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through (about 10 minutes or so).
I love hot sauce.


4.  Let cool, and then pull the meat with your hands. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary and place back in the oven at BROIL until crusty and caramelized on top, about 4 minutes.
Shredded chicken GOODNESS.


5.  Cut the French loaf horizontally. Place an even layer of blue cheese crumbles on the bottom, then the chicken, and smear the top piece of bread with the Ranch dressing.
*drooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool*


Honestly, I would have been happy with a decently good Buffalo chicken sandwich.  Really, I would!  But this chicken turned out so stinking good, that I will be making up batches of this regularly.  We LOVED this so much we chopped up leftovers for Buffalo Chicken Pizza.  I made Buffalo Chicken Nachos for lunch one day.  And sadly we ate it all before I could play around with Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas.

Guess that just means I need to cook up some more, PRONTO!

p.s. In case you're wondering, you can totally MAKE YOUR OWN FRENCH BREAD using that Basic Artisan bread recipe I posted earlier.  Just cut off the same amount as you would for an artisan loaf, shape it into a ball and then elongate it so it's about a 2" diameter.  Dust your pizza peel with flour instead of cornmeal and dust the top too.  Let it rise about 20-30 minutes.  Brush the top with a little bit of water and make those trademark slashes.  Slide it onto the stone, pour the same water into the same pan to make that steam, and let it bake about 20-25 minutes until the outside is crusty and it's firm to the touch.  YUM!!



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