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Ranch + fried chicken sandwich + BLT + easy refrigerator pickles = Rach's ultimate summer sandwich.

"Store-bought pickles are just fine," Rach says. "But if you have the time…"

Ingredients

For the Refrigerator Overnight Pickles:
  • 1 pound seedless cucumber or Persian cucumbers, sliced ¼-inch-thick
  • ½ small onion, quartered and thinly sliced (or 1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons yellow mustard seed
  • 1 ½ teaspoons coriander seed
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 2 tablespoons dried dill, or 4 stems fresh dill
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 cup white or cider vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • About ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
For the Ranch Marinade and Dressing:
  • 1 ½ cups sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce (Rach likes Frank's RedHot or Tabasco)
  • 2 teaspoons superfine sugar or sugar
  • 2 tablespoons dried dill
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  • 2 tablespoons dried chives
  • 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
  • 2 teaspoons granulated onion
  • Salt, fine black and/or white pepper, to taste
For the Fried Chicken Sandwiches with BLT:
  • 6 pieces boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (or 3 horizontally halved chicken breasts, tenders removed)
  • 12 slices bacon, halved across
  • 1 cup fine bread crumbs
  • 1 cup panko
  • 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
  • 1 tablespoon granulated onion
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • Frying oil, about 1 quart
  • 6 slices American cheese or Pepper Jack cheese
  • 2 cups shredded Napa, white cabbage or iceberg lettuce
  • 6 brioche rolls, halved
  • 6 thin slices white or red onion
  • 6 thin slices beefsteak tomato

Yield

Serves: 6

Preparation

For the Refrigerator Overnight Pickles, arrange the cucumbers and onions, seeds, peppercorns, dill, bay and garlic in a Mason jar or airtight container.

Bring to a boil in a small pot the vinegar, water, sugar and salt, dissolve the sugar and salt, then pour over the top of the cucumbers and cool a bit. Cover and refrigerate overnight and keep for up to 3 weeks.  

For the Ranch marinade and dressing, combine all ingredients and divide, placing about ¾ cup in a plastic food storage bag and funnel the rest into a squirt bottle or transfer to an airtight container.

For the sandwiches, place chicken in bag with marinade and refrigerate overnight.  

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Arrange bacon on slotted pan or wire rack-lined baking sheet. Bake until crisp.

Combine breadcrumbs and panko and season with garlic, onion and paprika.

Heat about 1 to 1 ½ inches frying oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Shake excess dressing off chicken and press evenly into coating on both sides. Fry chicken about 3 minutes per each side until deeply golden and cooked through. Drain on wire rack-lined baking sheet and top each piece with 1 slice cheese. Place in the oven to melt. 

Toss cabbage or lettuce with some Ranch dressing.

Assemble sandwiches: bun bottom, pickles, chicken, bacon, onion, tomato, cabbage or lettuce, bun top.