Buttermilk Fried Chicken

When I moved to Connecticut a few years ago, I brought “Chipotle sauce” with me as I proclaimed that it was one of my favorite dishes — and it is.

I’m always tempted to dip into the fruity, slightly tart peppery sweet chipotle sauce without knowing where the ingredients came from. The scent quickly convinces me that I should pour this “secret sauce” over grilled chicken or chicken thighs, or maybe onto a baked potato. It blends well with many vegetables, too, as it doesn’t leave me overly overwhelmed with hot heat.

And for a definite novelty, you can spread the chicken onto flour tortillas and top them with melted cheese.

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• Fresh lime juice

  Directions

• 1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush chicken breasts with butter and season with cilantro, a pinch of salt, and a grinding of black pepper. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish, drizzle chicken with remaining ½ teaspoon butter, and roast for 5 minutes or until cooked through.
• 2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, and cilantro. Serve chicken on tortillas with lime mayo on the side.
• KELTY’S RECIPE
• Pickled Watermelon Strawberries
• For the pickling liquid
• • 2 cups warm water (do not use boiling or this gives it a fishy aroma)
• • ¼ cup chopped blackberries
• • 2 tablespoons honey
• • 2 teaspoons sweet pickling vinegar
• For the berries
• • 3 cups seedless, superfine watermelon juice
• • 2 teaspoons almond extract
• • pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Directions
• 1. In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the pickling liquid and stir until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the liquid thickens (this should take about 15 minutes). Remove from heat, cover, and set aside until ready to pickle the berries.
• 2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine all the berries with the watermelon juice, almond extract, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) and pour the pickling liquid into sterilized glasses. Toss each glass in place of placing a butter knife into the liquid and let them sit for an hour, shaking the glasses regularly to distribute the pickling liquid around. Pour 1/4 cup of the pickling liquid into a small canning jar and fill with the pickled berries. (Make it with strawberries because the white salt and red pepper flakes will not gel in the canning liquid.)
• 3. Cover and refrigerate until set, at least 4 days. Serve in a bowl with spoon for dipping.
• Source: Melissa Clark, “The Merritt Family Cookbook: Recipes from My Favorite Family Home” (Clarkson Potter, 2019)
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