Fried Chicken Biscuit Sandwiches with Wildflower Honey and Chile Flakes

• Biscuits

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup for dusting
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup shortening, chilled
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
• 1 cup buttermilk, chilled

• Fried Chicken

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces for hors d’oeuvre, or 2 1/2-inch pieces for larger sandwiches
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon chile powder
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 whole eggs, beaten
• Vegetable oil as needed

• 1/2 cup of wildflower honey
• 1 teaspoon chile flakes

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

To make the biscuits, whisk together the 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the shortening and butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Stir with a large spoon until the dough just comes together. Knead the dough in the bowl until all of the flour is just incorporated.

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and begin to fold it over on itself, gently kneading until it’s soft and smooth. Flatten into a 1-inch-thick round. Using a 1-inch diameter biscuit cutter (or a 2 1/2-inch cutter for larger biscuits), cut out the biscuits. Place them on a half sheet pan, making sure they barely touch. Gather the scraps, flatten into another 1-inch-thick round, and cut out as many additional biscuits as possible. Use your thumb to press a shallow dimple into the top of each biscuit. Bake until tall and lightly golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool.

To make the chicken, season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and set aside. In a pie pan or shallow bowl, combine the flour and chile powder. Place the eggs and buttermilk in a separate bowl and whisk to combine.

Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour. Dip each piece in the egg mixture, then coat in the flour once more. Place the chicken pieces on a plate and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.

Add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch skillet with sloped sides. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the chicken in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook the pieces on both sides until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side.

In a small bowl, combine the honey and chile flakes.

To serve, cut the biscuits in half and place a piece of fried chicken on the bottom half of each biscuit. Drizzle the chicken with the chile-flake honey, then top with the top halves of the biscuits.