#instagrub: Eggplant Parmesan with Homemade Brown Butter-Heirloom Tomato Sauce, Creamy Burrata Cheese, Fresh Basil, + a Drizzle of Balsamic Reduction

Eggplant Parmesan with Homemade Brown Butter-Heirloom Tomato Sauce, Creamy Burrata Cheese, Fresh Basil, + a Drizzle of Balsamic Reduction

Tag team, back againnnnnn. It's our official first recipe of the new year!! Hip-hip-hooYAY. Anyway, it's been pretty dreary here in Atlanta. Not only has it been 20-30 degrees outside, but it's raining too, which makes it 10x worse. But with all things in this world, you gotta find that silver lining. With cold weather comes sitting by the fire, wearing cozy sweaters, and eating hearty, warm + toasty, food. That means, we will be eating a-shit-ton of casseroles, soups, pot roast, and roasted winter vegetables. One of those go-to dishes for us is Eggplant Parmesan. Because, lez'be'honest, crispy fried food + melty cheese are practically synonymous with comfort. And as always, I had to give this Italian classic a little oomph. Slices of eggplant are coated into crunchy herbed panko breadcrumbs and fried until golden brown + crispy on the outside and have reached a soft eggplant velvet on the inside. I don't know about you, but I'm jealous of the eggplant, I want to be velvet on the inside... amirite? Instead of the traditional marinara that is thinner and heavy on the tomato paste flavor, I decided to make a tomato sauce by browning a heap of butter until nutty in fragrance, followed by throwing in a mound of baby heirloom tomatoes, so that they can caramelize until they burst. This fresh brown butter-heirloom tomato sauce is oh-so-simple, yet surprisingly equal in flavor to any other sauce I've ever made. More importantly, it thickens to almost a tomato jam-like consistency, which I think lends to a way better Eggplant Parmesan because it maintains great layers and also does not make the fried eggplant any less crispy. That's called a "win-win" y'all. Arguably the best part of any dish is the cheese component. And in this case, it is amped up with something that is better than fresh mozzarella. What could be better than that, you might ask... Burrata. Yes, mozzarella's cream filled cousin is already luscious and dream-worthy on its' own, so why not use it this casserole-style Eggplant Parmesan? Finally, you have to use whole fresh basil leaves in between the other hearty layers, which gives it an extra delightful note that you cannot, will not, and should not miss. After the dish has baked, we like to spoon servings onto our dinner plates with a drizzle of balsamic reduction, followed by a mound of freshly grated Parmesan cheese + a garnish of minced basil!! So you see y'all, as long as it is cold outside, we get to enjoy the little things in life, like this decadent Eggplant Parmesan. Gather 'round your honey, close friends, and family because this is something that you should be required to make if the temperature outside drops below freezing. It is that good!! Enjoy :)

For the Brown Butter-Heirloom Tomato Sauce:

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter

4 Cloves of Fresh Garlic (2 minced + 2 thinly sliced)

½C Vidalia Onion, Finely Chopped

4C Baby Heirloom Tomatoes

2T Balsamic Vinegar

¼t Dried Oregano

1t Dried Red Pepper Flakes (or less if you don’t want it that spicy)

¾C Fresh Basil, Minced

Pinch of Sugar (or to your desired liking)

Fleur de Sel & Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

For the Breaded Eggplant:

1 Large Eggplant, Sliced ¼inch Thick Slices

2T Kosher Salt

½C AP Flour

1 Beaten Egg + ¼C Buttermilk 

Herbed Italian Breadcrumbs (you can use traditional or panko style)

Canola Oil, For Frying

For the Eggplant Parmesan:

Prepared Brown Butter-Heirloom Tomato Sauce, Room Temperature

Breaded Eggplant Slices (already fried until crispy & golden brown)

2 Balls of Creamy Burrata Cheese, Cut into Slices

Fresh Basil (whole, large leaves)

4T Freshly Grated Parmesan

A Sprinkling of Dried Red Pepper Flakes

Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking dish with Pam. Also, for a helpful hint, it is important that you make sure that you have an equal amount of slices of the eggplant + burrata cheese, as well as that many large fresh basil leaves.

2. For the Brown Butter-Heirloom Tomato Sauce: In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the diced onions + the fresh garlic (both minced and sliced) and cook until translucent. Reduce the heat to low, add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften and burst and the butter turns brown, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and basil. Season the sauce with fleur de sel, fresh cracked pepper, and sugar to taste.

3. For the Breaded Eggplant: Cut the eggplant in ¼inch slices and toss the 2T of kosher salt. Arrange in a single layer in a colander for 45 minutes to an hour. Then dry completely with paper towels, making sure to press down and remove any more moisture and excess salt. Next, you have to set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I use plain flour. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. For the third station, I use herbed Italian breadcrumbs. Now, place the slices of prepared eggplant into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the breadcrumbs (making sure they are completely covered).

4. Frying the Eggplant: Heat a deep sauté pan to medium heat with the canola oil. Once the oil has heated, fry the slices for 2-3 minutes each side (depending on the size of your fryer, mine is pretty small, so I do 2 at a time). The eggplant should be golden brown on the outside and velvety soft on the inside. Once they are done frying, place them onto a paper towel to drain, and sprinkle them with salt & pepper immediately. After all of the eggplant is fried, you can begin layering your Eggplant Parmesan.

5. Layering the Eggplant Parmesan: Begin the assembling process by spreading a ladle-full of room temperature, brown butter-heirloom tomato sauce into the bottom of the baking dish as a base. Layer the crispy eggplant slices, a piece of creamy burrata cheese, & whole fresh basil leaves, following this shingling technique, repeatedly, until all of the components have been used up. Finish by freshly grating some Parmesan cheese and sprinkling some red pepper flakes over the top of the Eggplant Parmesan.

6. Baking the Eggplant Parmesan: Place the finished dish into the oven and bake until the burrata cheese has melted until ooey-gooey and everything has reached a golden brown color. This should take about 15-20 minutes.

7. Finishing the Eggplant Parmesan: Once it has all melted, crisped, baked, and cooked through, spoon a portion of the eggplant onto plates and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan + a drizzle of balsamic reduction. Enjoy with a hearty glass of red wine! 

Date Night : Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari, Mussels, + Scallops braised in a Herbed, Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce and Brown Butter Panko

Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari, Mussels, + Scallops braised in a Herbed, Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Happy Easter everyone! I hope that everyone is surrounded by family, devouring honey baked hams, and stuffing your faces with carrot cake. Or, well, that's what we tend to do around this joint. But unfortunately, I do not have an Easter themed recipe for y'all today, but instead a Date Night entree. This dish is truly stunning... in person... in photographs... in general. I love the pop of black given from the squid ink pasta and the contrast of color the seafood + tomatoes provide. It looks extremely gourmet, but it was actually quite easy to throw together. We purchased the squid ink pasta a while ago, but we were waiting for the right inspiration to hit us. Usually everyone serves it with seafood because it obviously compliments the flavoring of the pasta. Well, we chose not one, but three types: calamari, mussels, + scallops. You honestly could just leave everything out and just use the calamari... just make sure you double or triple the amount of it. The pasta dish doesn't have a heavy sauce, which I love because it allows the remaining minor components to sing-- quite loudly. The sauce is super simple, in that it takes some sauteed onions, garlic, serrano, seafood stock, white wine, and a whole bunch of heirloom cherry tomatoes. Between the brine-y flavor from the squid ink pasta + seafood, the sweet + spicy tomato sauce, and crunchy brown butter panko, every flavor note is easily achieved. Not only is this delicious for two people, but it can't most certainly feed a big group. And lemme tell you, it's a crowd pleaser. I mean, they always say that you eat with your eyes first... and well, this dish is as colorful as you can get!! Enjoy :)

For the Brown Butter Panko:

4T Salted Butter, Melted & Browned

1C Panko Breadcrumbs

For the Pasta:

2T Unsalted Butter + 2T EVOO

1 Small Red Onion, Thinly Sliced

5 Cloves of Garlic, Thinly Sliced

1-2 Serranos, Thinly Sliced

2C Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced in Half

2C Seafood Stock + 2C White Wine

2T Sugar (or to your desired sweetness)

1T AP Flour

1-2t Red Pepper Flakes (or to your desired spiciness)

Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

½C Mixed Herbs (we recommend minced chives, Chiffonade basil, & tarragon)

½lb Calamari, Cut into Rings

1lb Mussels, Cleaned + Beard Removed

8-10 Seared Scallops

8oz Squid Ink Pasta

Directions:

1. For the Brown Butter Panko: In a small sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter until it has begun to toast and lightly brown. After it is has browned, pour the butter over the panko and quickly toss to coat the breadcrumbs until they are saturated. Return the buttered breadcrumbs to the pan and continue to brown them until they reach a lightly golden brown color. This should only take a few minutes (make sure to move them constantly, so they don’t burn). Remove them from the pan and place into a bowl, so that they can be used as a garnish later.

2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add in the squid ink pasta. Cook them according to the package; however, ours only took about 3-5 minutes (just make sure it’s al dente). Drain the pasta and set aside.

3. For the Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce: Bring a large sauté pan to medium-high heat and add in the butter and olive oil. Once they have melted, add in the red onion slices, garlic slivers, sliced Serranos, and calamari rings. Cook them until they begin to caramelize slightly and become fragrant, about 2-3 minutes (don’t let the garlic burn). Throw in the tomato halves and continue to sauté until they begin to break down and release their juices, about another 3-5 minutes. Stir in the seafood stock, white wine, and mussels. Cover and let this mixture cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes in order for the flavors to meld and allowing the mussels to open up. Afterwards, sift the 1T of AP Flour over the sauce and stir to combine (this will help the sauce thicken a bit and hold onto the pasta better). Now, it’s time to season the sauce with red pepper flakes, sea salt, & fresh cracked peppers. Once it has been seasoned to your liking, add in ¼C of the fresh mixed herbs (saving the other portion for garnishing).  Add the drained squid ink pasta into the spicy heirloom tomato sauce and toss to cover the noodles completely.

4. Serving the Pasta: Dump the squid ink pasta onto a serving platter and place the seared scallops all over the dish. Garnish with the remaining ¼C of fresh mixed herbs and sprinkle the brown butter panko all over the dish.

5. Enjoy with some toasted bread and a glass of red wine!

Eggplant Parmesan Pizza with Roasted Eggplant Chips, Ricotta, Sun Dried Red Peppers, Toasted Tomato Sauce, Fresh Basil, + Crispy Garlic Bread Crust

Eggplant Parmesan Pizza with Roasted Eggplant Chips, Ricotta, Sun Dried Red Peppers, Toasted
 Tomato Sauce, Fresh Basil, + Crispy Garlic Bread Crust

Everybody loves raymond pizza. Amirite? Yep. We make it weekly, most of y'all order it weekly... it's an oldie, but goodie. I'm kinda sorta really over delivery pizza. I think I had my fill of it over the years of middle school slumber parties and drunk binge eating in college. Now I want it fancy. And what's more Italian than pizza? Well, I always think of either chicken parmesan or eggplant parmesan. Which means, I just had to concoct a Eggplant Parmesan-inspired Pizza. Let's start with the sauce... it sorta reminds me of a sun dried tomato paste sauce. It's toasty, herby, and really enhances the tomato to a'whole'nother level. This condiment really would be great on pasta, chicken, or even on a piece of toasted bread. So, it's quite versatile. Now onto the toppings. I roasted some thinly cut eggplant to make some "chips". That's easy-peasy, so don't skip this step and just put raw eggplant on the pizza, we didn't like it that way at all. Oh buddy, it's time for the best part... the sweet + tangy sun dried red peppers. I found these little red jewels at our grocery store and I was immediately drawn to them. I don't know how they make them or what they flavor them with, but they are straight-up gangsta. And that's impressive since this girl right here is not a fan of roasted red peppers. At all. But these Delallo Peppers, I could eat straight out of the jar. I think I purchased a whole basket of them because we love them that much. I made a killer sun dried red pepper dressing and I plan on making a hummus this weekend featuring them as well. They make everything so much better. Okay, now enough of my love affair with a vegetable. The rest of the pizza is topped with mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta cheese, and fresh basil. However, there was just one more component I needed to address. I needed a way to mimic the crispy breadcrumb coating of eggplant parmesan. Eventually, we landed on the idea of making a crispy garlic bread pizza crust. The outer rim of your pizza dough is brushed with a butter-garlic-herb mixture that is chock full of herbed Panko breadcrumbs. When you bake it in the oven, the breadcrumbs toast & crisp up and give you the most amazing crispy exterior. It was the perfect way to finish this over-the-top pizza, mark my words. So ditch the delivery crap and give this a go, I really think everyone who loves this classic Italian dish will love the pizza even more!! Enjoy :)

Y'all have to try these Delallo Sun Dried Peppers!!

Eggplant Parmesan-inspired Pizza :)

Don't forget the fresh basil, it's super important.

sliced up + already eaten. 

For the Crispy Garlic Bread Crust:

5T Unsalted Butter, Melted

2 Garlic Cloves + Sea Salt (mashed into a garlic paste)

2T Parmesan Cheese

1t Dried Basil + Dried Oregano

3T Toasted Panko Breadcrumbs (plain or Italian flavors will work)

For the Toasted Tomato Sauce:

1/3C Olive Oil

1 Clove of Garlic, Minced

½t Dried Oregano, Basil, Thyme, & Rosemary

A Generous Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

½t Fresh Cracked Pepper & Sea Salt

3oz Tomato Paste

½t Honey

For the Eggplant Chips:

1 Small Eggplant, Thinly Sliced into Rounds

Olive Oil, For Drizzling

Salt, Pepper, & Dried Oregano, For Sprinkling

For the Eggplant Parmesan Pizza:

Homemade Extra-Crusty Pizza Dough

Prepared Crispy Garlic Bread Crust Butter

Prepared Toasted Tomato Sauce

8oz Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Cut into Thin Slices

Baked Eggplant Chips

4oz Ricotta Cheese (for dollops)

Sweet + Tangy Sun Dried Red Peppers (I love the Delallo brand)

Fresh Basil, Chiffonade

Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1. For the Crispy Garlic Bread Pizza Crust: Using a roll pin or your hands, form the dough into your desired shape (sometimes I use baking sheets and do rectangles or free form pizzas). Melt 5 tablespoons of butter and mix it with the minced garlic, dried herbs, and 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. In a small sauté pan, toast the panko breadcrumbs over medium heat until they smell nutty and they are lightly golden brown in color. Set them aside once you are done toasting them. Using a spoon or pastry brush, douse the outside edges with the herbed garlic butter mixture. You can spread the butter all over; just make sure to focus on the edges. Although make sure to save about one half of the butter, to spread on the pizza once it comes out of the oven. Continue to make your pizza with your desired toppings.

2. For the Toasted Tomato Sauce: Add the olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, crushed red pepper, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to a small skillet. Stir and heat the mixture over low heat for about 3-5 minutes. It’s okay if it sizzles slightly, but you don’t want it to get hot enough that the herbs burn. Add the tomato paste and honey. Allow it to heat through as you stir. It will not form a smooth sauce. Continue to stir and heat over low for about 5 minutes or until you notice the tomato paste has darkened slightly. Either use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

3. For the Eggplant Chips:Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silpat. Thinly slice the eggplant into rounds or chips. Spread them out onto the baking sheet and drizzle them with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Bake them for 25-30 minutes or until they are golden brown and slightly crisp.

4. Prepping the Dough:During the last hour of the dough’s resting, preheat the oven to its hottest setting, around 500-550 degrees, and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Now it’s time to add on the toppings.

5. Assembling the Pizza:Spread the dough with some of the herbed-garlic butter and toasted tomato sauce, and then scatter the mozzarella cheese over the dough in an even layer, and drop on dollops of ricotta cheese. Then top it the eggplant chips, sun dried peppers, and freshly grated Parmesan Cheese. Place the pizza into the hot oven and bake for roughly 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the crust has begun to brown. Bump the oven heat up to broil.

6. Serving the Pizza:Remove from the oven and brush the pizza with garlic-parmesan butter, using it all up. Sprinkle a bit of Parmesan over top if desired. Generously top it with some fresh basil, and a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cut into slices and enjoy it while it is still hot!

Pok Pok Lacquered Fried Chicken Banh Mi Sandwiches with Crispy Garlic, Homemade Red Rooster Aioli, Sweet + Spicy Pickle Coleslaw, Fresh Cilantro, & Buttered Brioche Buns

Pok Pok Lacquered Fried Chicken Banh Mi Sandwiches with Crispy Garlic, Homemade Red Rooster Aioli,
Sweet + Spicy Pickle Coleslaw, Fresh Cilantro, & Buttered Brioche Buns

Sandwiches are like love stories, or I think they are. They're lovey-dovey kind of stuff. Have y'all seen that Zaxby's commercial where she loves one of their zalads salads so much that she married it? It's completely plausible in my book, but if I'm going to marry anything it's either going to be a sandwich or chocolate of some sort. If my Mountain Man were to be a sandwich, I would want him to be a fancy fried chicken sandwich with a yummy coleslaw + toasted bun or a Banh Mi. So, if we're gonna talk marriage, we might as well marry the two together, and that's exactly what I did. Wayyyyyy back in March, I made caramel glazed pork belly banh mi's and my my, they were mighty fine. One of the best things I've concocted between two pieces of bread, so I wanted to use a few elements for my fried chicken version. The homemade red rooster aioli is a must, for anything really. And I knew that I wanted the chicken glazed or drizzled with a sweet + sticky sauce and I eventually decided on adapting this recipe. It worked out perfectly. After you batter & fry the chicken cutlets, you make a caramel with fish sauce, soy sauce, honey, sriracha, etc. And then dunk them into this asian caramel a few times until they are thoroughly coated + extra sticky. Instead of a simple sauce or dip, this gives the chicken a lacquered finish. If you didn't know already, any time food is lacquered, it pretty much means it looks like liquid gold. Brilliant. All that was left was a simple garnish of crispy minced garlic rounds out the flavor and gives it a tad more crunch. Between the buttered brioche bun, spicy aioli, lacquered chicken, and fresh cilantro, these are sure to become a household favorite. 

lacquered + topped with crispy garlic chips

place it on a buttered brioche with a slather of aioli

the sweet + spicy pickle coleslaw is the best part

don't forget a whole lot of fresh cilantro

oh my, you're gonna demolish it

homemade red rooster aioli

The best part? Oh by far, the sweet + spicy pickle coleslaw. This will be a go-to side this summer... and I especially can't wait to adapt it with BBQ inspired flavors for pulled pork sandwiches. All you do is toss a big mess of coleslaw with homemade sriracha-bread n' butter pickles, candied jalapenos, and spicy taco pickles along with some of their pickling liquid, and you've got the best vinaigrette coleslaw you could ever imagine. 

sweet + spicy pickle coleslaw

If you don't have all those pickles around like I do, then you could surely make do with what you have in the pantry... as long as they are asian-inspired & flavored. I let the mixture marinate for an hour or so, that way the flavors could marry together. All that is left is plopping a big scoopful on top of the chicken, and it's done. Or you could be like us and eat half of the coleslaw out of the mixing bowl before the sandwich is even finished. True story. These sandwiches are so damn good... you might just marry them. Just like us!! Enjoy :)

For the Marinated Chicken Cutlets:

4 Thin Chicken Cutlets (pounded out lightly)

1C Hot Water

2 Cloves of Garlic, Roughly Chopped

1C Sugar

½C Fish Sauce + Soy Sauce

Pinch of Cinnamon

¼t Salt

1 Star Anise Pod or Seed

For the Homemade Red Rooster Aioli:

1 Egg Yolk

1t White Vinegar

1 ½t Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

¼t Dijon Mustard & Sugar

1 Garlic Clove, Minced into a Paste (with a little bit of sea salt)

½t Salt

¾C Canola Oil

2T Asian Chili-Garlic Sauce

½t Cayenne

½t Homemade Sriracha Cajun Seasoning 

For the Sweet + Spicy Pickle Coleslaw:

4C Coleslaw Mix or Thinly Sliced Cabbage

2 Jalapenos, Thinly Sliced (optional)

1 Bunch of Green Onions, Thinly Sliced

½C Homemade Sriracha Bread n’ Butter Pickles + ¼C of the Pickling Liquid

1C Homemade “Taco Pickles” + 2T of the Pickling Liquid

½C Homemade Candied Jalapenos + 2T of the Candied Liquid

For the Coleslaw Dressing:

¼C Sriracha Bread n’ Butter Pickling Liquid (reserved from earlier)

2T “Taco Pickles” Pickling Liquid (reserved from earlier)

2T Candied Jalapeno Liquid (reserved from earlier)

1T Sesame Oil

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Crispy Fried Chicken:

2C AP Flour

¼C + 2T Cornstarch

1t Chinese Five Spice Powder

Marinated Chicken Cutlets

½C Panko Breadcrumbs 

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

1C Buttermilk

Peanut Oil, For Frying

To Make the Pok Pok Lacquering Caramel:

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1T Fresh Ginger, Minced

2T Vegetable Oil

¼C Fish Sauce + ¼C Soy Sauce 

¼C Sugar + ¼C Honey

¼C Chili-Garlic Sauce (depending on how spicy you want it)

Fried Minced Garlic, For Garnishing

For the Banh Mi Sandwiches:

Buttered Brioche Buns, Warmed

Pok Pok Lacquered-Crispy Fried Chicken Cutlets, Hot

Prepared Red Rooster Aioli

Prepared Sweet + Spicy Pickle Coleslaw

Fresh Cilantro Sprigs

Directions:

1. For the Marinated Chicken Cutlets: In a small bowl, steep the crushed garlic and salt with the hot water for roughly 5 minutes. After waiting, whisk in the fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar until all of it is completely mixed and the sugar has dissolved. Let this mixture cool completely before marinating the cutlets (I let mine chill in the refrigerator until cold). Once the marinade is cold, place the chicken cutlets into a plastic bag (or large container) and pour the cold marinade over the chicken, tossing to coat completely. Marinate them for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight to enhance the flavor and juiciness (making sure you toss the wings occasionally throughout the process, so that they are evenly covered). Once the wings have marinated for your desired time, remove the chicken from the liquid and completely pat them dry of any excess liquid.

2. For the Red Rooster Aioli: Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, and ½t salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Using ¼t measuring spoon and whisking constantly, add ¼C of the oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4-5 minutes. Gradually add remaining ½C canola oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8-10 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color). Season the mayo with Asian chili-garlic sauce, sugar, cayenne, and Sriracha Cajun seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use.

3. For the Sweet + Spicy Pickle Coleslaw: In a large mixing bowl, toss together the jalapenos, green onions, Sriracha pickles, taco pickles, candied jalapenos, and the dressing components. Add the coleslaw mixture and season with salt & pepper. Toss to cover and combine, and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

4. For the Crispy Fried Chicken: Pour about 1 inch of peanut oil into a large heavy skillet and heat to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, panko, five-spice powder, salt, and pepper in a dish. Pour the buttermilk into another dish. Working with 1 marinated chicken cutlet at a time, dredge them into the flour mixture, shaking off the excess, and then dip them into the buttermilk, allowing the excess to drop off. Dredge back into the flour mixture again, shaking one last time. Fry the chicken cutlets until golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack and sprinkle with salt. Now, it’s time to make the lacquering caramel.

5. To Make the Pok Pok Lacquering Caramel: In a wok, heat the 2T oil to medium heat and add in the minced garlic, cooking them until golden brown without burning them, about 2-3 minutes (keep a close eye because burnt garlic tastes awful). Remove the fried garlic from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain it on a paper towel, while you make the caramel. In the oiled wok, bring the pan to medium heat and add in the ginger, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. As the sugar begins to melt, the mixture will start to thicken up into a syrupy consistency, about 5 minutes. Once it starts to thicken, whisk in the honey and chili-garlic sauce until smooth and thick (don’t let the sauce unattended because it will burn). Add in the fried cutlets and toss in the sauce until they are coated and sticky.

6. Assembling the Sandwiches: Generously spread the buttered brioche buns with the Homemade Red Rooster Aioli. Layer on the pok pok lacquered-crispy fried chicken cutlets, sweet + spicy pickle coleslaw, and sprigs of fresh cilantro. Top the sandwiches with the top piece of the bun, and enjoy immediately!