Fried Chicken Biscuit Sandwiches

Buttery, homemade biscuits stacked with crispy chicken, creamy pimiento cheese, and a fried egg? Count us in.

Makes 4

1 cup whole buttermilk, divided 1 tablespoon hot sauce 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 8 chicken tenders

10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed and divided 3 cups self-rising flour, divided, plus more for dusting Vegetable oil, for frying

1 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimientos, drained 2 tablespoons mayonnaise ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon onion powder ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper 4 Essential Fried Egg

(recipe on page 60)

Stir together ¼ cup buttermilk, hot sauce, 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add chicken; cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 450°. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, place 2 tablespoons butter; place skillet in oven to preheat.

Stir together 2 cups flour and ½ teaspoon salt in another large bowl. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut in remaining 8 tablespoons cold butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in remaining ¾ cup buttermilk just until combined.

Lightly flour work surface; on prepared surface, pat dough to ½-inch thickness. Cut dough into quarters, and stack quarters on top of each other. Pat dough to ½-inch thickness; repeat procedure 3 more times. Using a 4½-inch round cutter, cut 4 biscuits, and carefully place in hot skillet.

Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool completely; slice biscuits in half.

Whisk together ¼ teaspoon salt and remaining 1 cup flour in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from bowl, discarding buttermilk mixture.

Dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Let chicken stand on a wire rack at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Pour oil to a depth of 1 inch in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet; heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 365°.

Add chicken to hot oil, and fry until golden brown and a meat thermometer inserted in center registers 165°, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove chicken from oil, and let drain on paper towels.

Combine Cheddar, cream cheese, pimientos, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in another large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well combined.

Place 2 chicken tenders on bottom half of each biscuit. Top each with ¼ cup pimiento cheese and 1 Essential Fried Egg. Cover with top half of biscuits.