Las Vegas Weekly

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The focus might be on steak, but poultry is treated with equal respect and affection at Hank’s Fine Steaks. One of the Green Valley Ranch restaurant’s most popular entrees: the buttermilk fried chicken. “It does catch people off guard at the steakhouse, but we have the finest fish, oysters and chicken, as well as the finest steaks,” Executive Chef Daniel Concepcion says. The key to this dish, according to the chef, is an overnight soak in creamy buttermilk, which makes tender Jidori chicken even softer and adds some rich, deep flavor. “If you can say chicken is mouth-watering, that’s what this is.”

Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Sage Gravy

(serves four)

Ingredients:

1 Jidori chicken, cleaned (or four chicken breasts)

1 quart buttermilk

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. onion powder

kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

oil for frying

Ingredients for sage gravy:

1 oz. unsalted butter

1 oz. all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy whipping cream

½ tsp. fresh sage, chopped

2 whole sage leaves

kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Method: Cut chicken into as many pieces as needed or just use whole chicken breasts. Soak chicken in buttermilk overnight, or for at least 4 hours.

Blend flour, cayenne, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour and let sit for about 5 minutes, then dredge chicken again, making sure you cover all sides. Carefully drop chicken in deep frying oil set at 160 degrees and cook until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

For sage gravy, let butter come to room temperature and mix with flour to create beurre manie. Pour heavy cream into a sauce pot and bring to a light boil. Add remaining ingredients, reserving whole sage leaves. Stir in beurre manie and let simmer for about 5 minutes until sauce is thickened.

To serve, place whole sage leaves in frying oil for about 2 minutes, remove and drain excess oil on napkin. Ladle about three ounces of gravy onto center of plate. Place fried chicken on top and garnish with fried sage.