Well, it's sort of a sandwich. Double Downs are a product of KFC where they place bacon, cheese, and sauce in between two fried chicken fillets. Whaaaatt? Now, we're all a little bit too pretentious to actually go to KFC, so instead we decided to make them from scratch.
My friend Billy was put in charge of creating the Double Downs. Not everyone can be lucky enough to have a friend from the south like Billy who knows how to make amazing fried chicken. Seriously...it's ridiculous. And the chicken is obviously a key aspect to the perfect Double Down experience, so we had to put that job in the hands of an expert.
He started off by pounding the meat. Hard. After pounding the chicken into cutlets he rubbed them with salt, white pepper, paprika, and cayenne. Next the chicken was dipped into an egg wash and battered with flour. Then he fried them to perfection in vegetable oil.
With the fried chicken "bread" ready to go, bacon, pepperjack cheese, and this cilantro mayonnaise I had made earlier were sandwiched between the fillets and placed in the oven for about ten to fifteen minutes so the cheese could melt and meld all the ingredients together.
I had actually made the mayo as a dipping sauce for shrimp earlier in the day, but there was a lot leftover and it seemed perfect for the Double Downs. Basically it was a combination of mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, crushed red pepper, and sea salt, all blended together. I bet horseradish, pesto, or red pepper mayo would also work really well with this recipe.
I was so excited when the Double Downs were finally ready. I don't even know if I can describe how ridiculously amazing they were. First you've got the crispiness of fried chicken, which knows no match. You know what I'm talking about--that beautifully crispy exterior that gives way to juicy meat on the inside. And not just one piece of fried chicken, but two! Talk about over the top. Next you've got the bacon, and you all know how wonderful bacon is. Combined with the fried chicken it's a double dose of decadence. But then the pepperjack cheese melts all over the sandwich, adding yet another rich quality to the already divine flavors. And mayonnaise! Come on, you know it's the perfect comfort food. What else could you want to put you in a food coma?
These are a perfect late-night snack when all you want to do is get the itis and lie around watching movies. I wish the photos came out better, so you can see just how delicious they were, but I think that at least the picture of me with the Double Down conveys how much happiness these little fried chicken-bacon-cheese "sandwiches" can create. As much as I'm not a fan of KFC, I've got to admit they came up with a great idea with the Double Downs. My recommendation--make them at home and experience one of the most amazing, crispy, and gooey things you can put in your mouth. Enjoy!
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