Our next installment of Dinner And A Movie features Phish’s July 28, 2017 show from Madison Square Garden in NYC. The full show will play for free on Tuesday at 8:30PM ET at webcast.livephish.com or Phish’s Facebook page.
The July 28 show was the “Chocolate” night from Phish’s Baker’s Dozen residency at MSG. And so this week, Trey shares the recipe for Federal Donuts’ Double Chocolate Donut, the very same donut handed out to fans on the night of the show. In addition, Federal Donuts is also known for their incredible Fried Chicken sandwiches and we’re including the recipe for that as well. These recipes are below and while they may appear a bit intimidating to the home chef, they’re well worth the effort! (If you’re looking for a vegan alternative to the chicken sandwich, check out this recipe from NYC’s Superiority Burger). Feel free to post photos of your version of this dish, or share whatever you’re making. Tag us at #phishdinnerandamovie.
This week’s beneficiary is Doctors Without Borders / Medecins Sans Frontiérès (MSF). You can donate anytime at phish.com/waterwheel. DWB provides emergency medical care to millions of people caught in crisis in more than 70 countries around the world. Their teams are responding to the coronavirus emergency on multiple fronts—caring for patients, offering health education and mental health support, and providing training for vital infection control measures in health facilities around the world. MSF is working with local authorities in many of the countries where they already have medical projects to help prepare for the impact of COVID-19. This pandemic threatens the lives of people around the world, and presents even greater risks in countries with weak or fragile health systems. For more info visit doctorswithoutborders.org
The Federal Donuts Fried Chicken Sandwich
(Makes 4)
Ingredients:
Cure
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
Batter
3 cups cornstarch
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups cold water
Spicy Rooster Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of your favorite hot sauce (we love Frank’s RedHot!)
A pinch of cayenne pepper
Sandwich
4 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 quarts canola oil, for frying
4 Martin’s Potato Rolls
4 slices American cheese
1 cup dill pickles
1 packet ranch salad dressing & seasoning mix
Instructions:
1. Combine the cure ingredients in a small bowl. Put the chicken breasts in a larger bowl, pour the spice mixture over them, and toss until all the pieces are thoroughly coated. Refrigerate until ready to cook (only a few hours!).
2. Combine the dry ingredients for the batter in a large bowl & mix well. Slowly pour in the water & whisk until the mixture and the consistency of thin pancake batter. Dip each chicken breast into the batter to fully coat.
3. Heat the oil to 300°F in a large enamel-coated cast iron pot fitted with a candy or deep-frying thermometer. Fry for 3 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts from the oil and cool on a rack set over paper towels for 10 minutes.
4. For the second fry, reheat the oil to 350°F, fry the chicken for 3 more minutes, and drain well on paper towels.
5. Whisk the mayonnaise and hot sauce together in a bowl. Add the cayenne pepper and keep whisking until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
6. Split the potato rolls. Put 1 slice of cheese on each top roll and melt under the broiler. Sprinkle ranch dressing mix over the fried chicken breasts, coating well. Then put a chicken breast on each bottom bun. Drizzle Spicy Rooster Sauce over the chicken, top with 4-5 dill pickle chips, and then further top with the melted cheese roll.
The Federal Donuts Double Chocolate Donut
(Makes 1 Dozen)
Ingredients:
Donut Batter
12 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons (2 ½ ounces) butter, melted & cooled
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
3 ½ cups all purpose flour, plus 1 cup for rolling & cutting dough
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baharat
Canola or peanut oil, for frying
Note: baharat is used to season all kinds of foods in the Middle East. Its closest relative in the USA would be something like pumpkin pie spice. It could be improvised at home from your spice cabinet, or found at a Middle Eastern grocery store.
Making the Dough
1. Combine the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can certainly use a hand mixer, or even a sturdy whisk instead.
2. Mix on low speed until ribbons start to form in the mixture and the color lightens, about 3 minutes. Slowly stream in the melted butter until just incorporated, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the buttermilk all at once. Mix again just to combine, about 5 seconds.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the 3 ½ cups of flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and baharat. Add to the mixer all at once and mix on low speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again on medium-low until the dough looks smooth and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, 20 to 30 seconds.
Rolling the Dough
5. Prepare a counter work space by fastening a large piece of parchment paper with tape at the corners. Have the 1 cup of flour nearby to use as needed. Generously flour the workspace.
6. Scrape down the paddle attachment and turn all the batter out onto the floured surface. Dust the top of the dough with more flour, sprinkling the edges as well. Flour your hands well, too.
7. With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to a ½-inch thick rectangle, about 10 by 14 ½ inches. Add more flour to prevent sticking. Brush the excess flour off the dough & parchment paper with a pastry brush. Transfer the dough on the paper to the back of a baking sheet and slide it into the freezer for up to 30 minutes.
Cutting the Donuts
8. We use two sizes of ring cutters to make our donut shapes: the larger about 2 ¾ inches in diameter, and a 1 inch cutter for the holes. Feel free to use a drinking glass & a shot glass! Flour the cutters well and often to prevent sticking. Begin with the large cutter, then cut out the smaller holes. Return the baking sheet with the dough rings to the freezer until ready to fry. (At this point, the frozen rings can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the freezer for up to two days. Let thaw slightly before frying.)
9. The dough scraps can be gathered together and rerolled, or cut into small irregular shapes and fried as they are.
Frying the Donuts
10. Clip a candy or deep frying thermometer onto one side of a big enameled cast iron pot and add 2-3 inches of canola or peanut oil. Heat over medium-low until the pot reaches 375°F.
11. Carefully lift the dough rings with a spatula and slide them into the oil, about 4 at a time, depending on the size of your pot. After about 90 seconds, the edges will begin to brown; flip the donuts with the slotted spoon. Fry for another 90 seconds until golden brown and delightfully puffy. (Donut holes take 60-90 seconds and tend to flip themselves.) With a slotted spoon, transfer the donuts on a rack set over a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Reheat the oil to 375°F before cooking the next batch.
12. Let the donuts cool & then glaze.
Dark Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients:
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped bittersweet chocolate
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
3 cups confectioners sugar
Topping
3 cups finely crushed Nilla Wafers
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon salt
1 ½ tablespoons Dutch cocoa powder
Glazing & Topping:
1. Make the topping: Mix all topping ingredients in a large bowl until the butter is absorbed by the crumbs and the cocoa powder is thoroughly spread throughout.
2. Make the glaze: Combine the chocolate, cocoa powder, salt, and milk in a large bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water over medium heat and whisk until the chocolate is melted. Add the confectioners sugar and continue whisking until smooth.
3. Glazing & Topping: Hold the bottom of the donut with your fingertips and submerge the top in warm glaze little more than halfway up the sides.
4. Remove the donut from the glaze and, with a twist of the wrist, turn it right side up, allowing the excess glaze to wrap around the sides and bottom of the donut.
5. While the glaze is still wet, dip the glazed donut into the bowl of topping until the donut is fully covered.
6. Transfer the glazed & topped donut to a wire rack to set for about 10 minutes.