Salmon with Lentils

Directions for: The Beastwich

Ingredients

Rachelle's Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp granulated sugar

tsp salt

tsp ground black pepper

cup unsalted butter, cold

cup buttermilk

cup 35% cream, plus more for brushing

Pimento Cheese

lb(s) Cheddar cheese, grated

⅛ lb(s) cream cheese, softened

1 tsp ground black pepper

cup roasted red pepper, chopped

cup mayonnaise

1 tsp sugar

⅛ tsp cayenne pepper

Tabasco sauce, to taste

Sausage Gravy

1 lb(s) pork sausage

yellow onion (1/2 cup), finely chopped

8 clove (4 teaspoons) garlic

tsp ground black pepper

4 cup whole milk

salt, to taste

Fried Chicken & Assembly

4-6 boneless chicken thighs, butterflied

buttermilk, for dredging

Directions

Rachelle's Buttermilk Biscuits

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in sugar, salt, and pepper.

3. Using the large holes on a box grater, grate butter into the dry mixture. Mix with fingertips until mixture resembles a coarse meal.

4. Slowly add buttermilk and cup of cream, working mixture together with hands until a firm dough forms; do not overwork dough.

5. Roll dough on a floured work surface to -inch thick.

6. Using a floured 2 -inch round cookie cutter, cut out scones and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet 1 inches apart.

7. Press dough scraps into a ball and repeat.

8. Brush biscuits with reserved cream and bake on the top shelf for 15 minutes, or until biscuits are lightly golden.

9. Remove biscuits from oven and set aside.

Pimento Cheese

1. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together cheddar cheese, cream cheese, black pepper, roasted red pepper, mayonnaise, sugar, cayenne pepper, and a splash of Tabasco sauce.

2. Stir until combined and set aside until sandwich assembly.

Sausage Gravy

1. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil over medium heat.

2. When oil begins to smoke, add sausage and stir with a wooden spoon to break up the pieces. Cook for 5 minutes, or until sausage begins to brown.

3. Add onions, garlic, and black pepper. Cook and stir for an additional 2 minutes.

4. Add the flour and cook while stirring for 1 minute.

5. Add the milk and bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat; immediately reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 8-10 minutes.

6. Cover and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.

Fried Chicken & Assembly

1. Marinate chicken thighs in buttermilk in the fridge overnight.

2. Fried Chicken: Preheat oven to 350F.

3. Preheat deep fryer to 350F, or heat oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pot to 350F.

4. When oven reaches temperature, place biscuits on a baking sheet in the oven to warm until plating.

5. To make the seasoning flour for the chicken, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, cayenne, onion powder, paprika, and ground black pepper.

6. Remove chicken from buttermilk and dredge chicken thighs in the seasoning flour, to coat.

7. Drop chicken thighs in the hot oil and cook on one side for 4-5 minutes. Flip chicken thighs and cook for another 4-5 minutes.

8. To test for doneness, remove one chicken thigh from the hot oil and pierce chicken with a sharp knife at the thickest part. Chicken meat should be white throughout.

9. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to soak up extra oil while you fry the eggs.

10. Assembly: Heat oil or butter in a medium pan over medium heat.

11. Crack eggs into the pan and reduce heat to medium low. Fry until whites are solid and opaque. Continue frying eggs until you have one egg per sandwich.

12. Remove biscuits from the oven and cut in half. Spread pimento cheese on the bottom half. Top with a fried egg, followed by a chicken thigh. Pour sausage gravy over the chicken and add the second biscuit.

13. Note: Leftover pimento cheese tastes great spread on crackers.

See more: Comfort Food, Dinner, Cheese, Chicken