Blog - biscuits and such
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Chicken Biscuits Sliders

So far the common thread of 2015 has been biscuits. I actually think I’ve made more biscuits in 2015 already than I did in all of 2014. I’ve been churning them out, dude. It all started with the biscuit-palooza that was Dan’s birthday weekend with our college friends. A few weeks later for Dan’s birthday party I decided I wanted to make one-bite fried chicken biscuits (self five there). Then this past weekend, for my mom’s going away party (she’ll be spending the next year in South East Asia and the South Pacific) my brother Reid and I made country ham biscuit sliders. I’m on a roll (a biscuit?) and I have no complaints.

 

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These chicken biscuit sliders were a huge hit, a delicious combination of fried chicken bites, buttery and flakey biscuits, dill pickle slices, and a sweet and spicy jalapeño honey. They’ll be back on the menu before too long.

 

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Chicken Biscuit Sliders
makes 24 sliders

fried chicken

8 chicken thighs, skin on & boneless

2 cups buttermilk

2 1/2 tbsps red pepper flakes

2 1/2 tbsps cayenne pepper

2 tbsps salt

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 cup breadcrumbs

2 cups flour

1/2 cup stone ground yellow grits

4 eggs

1 tbsp apple cider vingear

Peanut oil for frying

biscuits:

4 1/2 cups flour

2 tsps baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsps salt

2 sticks butter

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 stick melted butter for topping

Honey for biscuits

3 large dill pickles

 

The night before you’d like to make these sliders cube your chicken into 24 bite size pieces. Combine in a bag with buttermilk, 1 tbsp red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp cayenne, and 1 tbsp salt. Refrigerate overnight.

 

Set out three bowls for yourself and heat the oil in a skillet or a deep fryer. Oil should be 350-375F. In the first bowl combine 1 cup of flour with the garlic powder. In the second bowl whisk together your eggs with the apple cider vinegar. In the third bowl combine the remaining flour, bread crumbs, grits, and spices. Once your oil is hot take your chicken, two or three pieces at a time, from the buttermilk and shake excess buttermilk off. Dredge in flour mixture, then in eggs, and then in flour and breadcrumb. Make sure the chicken is completely coated in the third mixture and then drop into the oil. Fry for 3-5 minutes, turning as necessary, until golden brown and crisp. Transfer onto a rack to cool. Repeat until all of your chicken is fried.

 

Heat oven to 400F. Mix together dry ingredients. Cube butter and work in with your hands, breaking the butter up into small pieces and mixing in with the dry ingredients, until the texture resembles cornmeal. Stir in the buttermilk. Transfer to a floured surface and press into a rectangle. Fold on itself and pat into a rectangle. Repeat three or four times, finishing with a large rectangle of dough that is 1″ thick. Use a small biscuit cutter to cut into 1″ rounds or slice with a knife into 1″ squares. Place on a baking sheet and brush the top of each biscuit with melted butter. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. and baked through.

 

While your biscuits are baking, slice the pickles. Halve biscuits and smear generously with honey. Place a fried chicken bite and a pickle slice on each biscuit and serve hot.

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Lovely Internet 2.27.15

1. Over Christmas I did an interview with The Dinner Special that went live this week!

2. The Smithsonian is releasing a compilation of 108 Lead Belly songs.

3. This melted my heart a little bit.

4. Hey! I’ve stood in line for this beer before. (Just kidding. Dan says it was the other one.)

5. Is grassfed beef really better for you, the cows, and the planet?

6. I think about this every time I drive around Durham County. JUST STOP ALREADY.

7. I want this. Could I wear it with shorts all summer long? Or am I too old for that? (ps perfect series!)

8. Made in Durham.

9. What color do you see? (I see white and gold and I’m convinced this is a huge confusing hoax)

10. I promise this is the last time I’ll mention Parks and Rec (until I inevitably rewatch it in a few years) but seriously, that finale. So perfect.

For more tidbits from Elena the person, follow me on twitter (@elenabrent or @biscuitsandsuch), instagrampinterest or facebook. Subscribe to my bloglovin’ feed to make sure you never miss a post. Follow along with MissElenaeous for thoughts on everything other than Southern food.

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Fire Cider

I put a lot of stock into traditional remedies. When all is said and done I believe in a balance between the amazing discoveries and innovations of science and technology and the herbal medicinal remedies that are the result of hundreds and thousands of years of human evolution and experimentation. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, black or white, it can be a blend- the old AND the new, all working together to keep us healthy and strong.

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This school year I’ve maintained a steady cough/cold since approximately September 1st. It’s fluctuated from really bad to barely noticeable to full blown flu, and I expect it’ll stay with me until about June. It’s one of the consequences of me being a preschool teacher- I get sick and stay sick for most of the year. Even after more than a decade working with kids I still catch everything, so do my best to keep my body strong so that I am able to fend off as much as possible.

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In the past this has meant combining plenty of fermented foods and probiotics (sauerkraut and water kefir are two of my standards) with a diet of organic whole foods, a solid amount of garlic, and immune boosters such as elderberry. This year, after a particularly horrible round of the flu made it through our classroom (and town and country and, it seems, world), I decided it was time to step up my game a bit and brew a little fire cider.

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Fire cider is a traditional recipe with deep roots in folk medicine. Like any dish with a long history there are countless recipes, ingredients, and techniques available, as many as there are Appalachian grandmothers. The touted benefits are also incredible- it is antibacterial, decongestive, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti fungal, it promotes circulation and helps with nausea and gut health. It’s a fermented miracle tonic that tastes damn good on its own and even better splashed on top of a bloody mary.

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A few years ago I was complaining to my Grammy about my chronic ear infections. Her response? “I’m not into all that hippie dippy shit but put some olive oil in it” (ever the good Sicilian). I am into all that hippie dippy shit and so I threw some olive oil right in my ear. Worked like a charm (as does vinegar). My point is, even if you’re not the type of person that has a cupboard full of tinctures, it certainly can’t hurt to add a few herbal remedies to your routine. In this age of rapidly mutating super viruses maybe what we all need is the power of fermented superfoods.

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Fire Cider

The beautiful thing about Fire Cider is that you can adapt the recipe to what you have on hand, or what herbs and ingredients you’d like to take advantage of. Use this recipe as a starting off point and experiment!

1 head of garlic, peeled

3″ fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 lemon, peeled and quartered

1 grapefruit, peeled and quartered

1/4 cup grated horseradish (fresh if you can find it)

1/4 cup local honey with honeycomb

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

Raw apple cider vinegar

Combine all of your ingredients in a large jar or glass bottle. Top with apple cider vinegar and shake well. Ferment in a dark place, shaking once per day, for at least 4 weeks and up to 6 months. Strain and add raw honey to taste. Drink straight or mix into drinks or food.

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