AliLarter.com

August 31, 2017

Where I grew up in New Jersey, game day is serious business.  Whether a potluck year with neighbors cozied up around the TV, or just me and the ‘rents, the Super Bowl has always been a Sunday of comfy clothing, raucous laughter, fun-spirited (both of the metaphorical and, for the adults,  alcoholic variety) rivalry, and classic comfort foods like buffalo wings with creamy blue cheese dipping sauce.

Nowadays, it’s my turn to host the big game, and I love it – Thanksgiving’s dressed-down fired-up February sibling, the Super Bowl means gathering good friends to share in tradition and some old-fashioned home cooking.  This year, I decided to prepare a twist on those standard buffalo wings and, judging from our test batch, these two-napkin sourdough sliders will have you wishing you’d doubled the recipe by the end of your first tangy, creamy bite.  Of course you can do it the busy workweek way – buy a rotisserie chicken and some grocery store slaw – but you know me, I like to go for the win.  The heat of the buffalo sauce matched against the creamy crunch of the gorgonzola slaw – which my husband claims is the best slaw he’s ever tasted – will have your guests cheering you on as much as their favorite team.  If only the guys on tv played together this well…

P.S. – Judging from the way Eleanor attacked the food shoot when we turned our backs, dogs like ‘em too!

*Adapted from recipe by thewickednoodle

POACHED CHICKEN INGREDIENTS

1 Whole Chicken, cut into pieces
1 tsp. Whole Black Peppercorns
2 large fresh Bay Leaves
1 rib Celery, coarsely chopped
1 Lemon, sliced
pinch Salt

 

GORGONZOLA SLAW INGREDIENTS

4 cups Green Cabbage
2 cups Celery
½ cup Red Onion
1 tbls. whole grain mustard
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 tsp. Celery Salt
6 oz. Gorgonzola, crumbled
3 tbls. Apple Cider vinegar

 

BUFFALO SAUCE INGREDIENTS

1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted
2/3 cup Hot Sauce (we used Louisiana)
splash Worstershire Sauce
1 tbls. Tapioca Starch
Poached Whole Chicken
6-8 Sourdough Slider Rolls.

 

TO POACH THE CHICKEN:

Place entire chicken in large stock.  Add water to cover the chicken by a couple inches, bring water to a boil, then reduce to a rolling simmer and allow to cook for 45 minutes or until the juices run clear. Shred chicken.

TO ASSEMBLE THE SLIDERS:

Shred the poached chicken.  For the gorgonzola slaw, julienne all vegetables in a food processor and place in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix mustard, mayonnaise, celery salt, gorgonzola, and red wine vinegar, then add to the dry slaw and stir until mixed.  Set aside.  Heat oven to 350 degrees, and warm rolls.  Melt the butter, then mix in the hot sauce as well as the salt and the worstershire.  Remove from heat, add tapioca starch, and whisk until the sauce thickens, then add sauce back to the pan and heat another minute.   Place the pulled chicken in the same pan as the buffalo sauce, and stir until the chicken is coated entirely and warmed through.  To assemble the sliders, open a roll and spoon a generous portion of the chicken onto the bottom half of a roll, then slather with gorgonzola slaw.  Top with other half of roll, toothpick, and devour!

SERVES 6-8

POACHED CHICKEN PREP TIME: 45 minutes or until the juices run clear.

TOTAL SLIDER COOKING TIME: 30 minutes.