We have a venerable fast-food institution in the South known as Chick-fil-A. It has gained renown for its chicken sandwich: golden fried chicken breast served on a steamed hamburger bun with only two slices of dill pickle to adorn the sacred sandwich. Truett Cathay, its founder, kept his restaurants closed on Sundays in light of religious observance, leaving legions of fried chicken sandwich addicts adrift one day a week. Cooks have tried to achieve the same flavors at home, but remain second-rate to Cathay’s esteemed fried boneless breast. Although variations abound, it is clear to me that the chicken breasts are pickle-brined. Here is my experiment reminiscent of the lauded sandwich. I save the juice from two jars of dill pickles to make the brine.
From CHICKEN: a Savor the South® cookbook by Cynthia Graubart. Copyright © 2016 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. www.uncpress.org