Herbed hot honey, homemade refrigerator pickles and a sweet apple slaw bring out the best in this classic crispy chicken sandwich. 

Preparation

To make the pickles, arrange sliced cucumbers and serrano chili in a jar or storage container with a lid. In a small sauce pot, heat the vinegar, honey and salt to a boil. Pour boiling vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and cover with a lid. Let cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator. Store in the refrigerator 2–3 days before serving, or up to 30 days for any extra.

To make the honey, add all ingredients to small sauce pot and heat on medium heat until warm. Cool to room temperature.

For the chicken, start by removing the bone from the chicken thighs with a boning knife, leaving the skin intact. Heat a cast iron pan on medium heat. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place skin-side down in the pan. Render the skin until golden brown and crisp, then remove to a rack to drain.

Mix together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder and paprika in a workbowl. Pour the buttermilk in another workbowl. Remove any grease from the chicken thighs with a paper towel, then dip the thighs into the buttermilk, followed by the flour. Repeat this step twice for each thigh.

Add oil to the pan that rendered the chicken. Place the dredged chicken in the oil and fry until golden brown on both sides and a minimum internal temperature of 170°F, then remove to a wire rack to drain. Pour honey mixture over each chicken thigh until thoroughly coated.

To make the slaw, add all ingredients to a workbowl and mix to combine, then season to taste with salt.

For the final assembly, add 2–3 tablespoons of the spiced honey to the mayonnaise and mix to combine. Assemble sandwich by toasting the brioche buns and spreading each half with the honey mayonnaise. Add the chicken thigh to the bottom bun, topped with cucumber slices, apple slaw and top bun.