Lewis Butler, executive chef at Hilton’s Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach, has been heading up prominent kitchens in Orange County for years. His culinary history includes more than a decade of overseeing the culinary program at the former Center Club in Costa Mesa, the spot that is now The Park Club.
We met prior to that gig, almost 20 years ago when he was executive chef at the Surf & Sand Resort in Laguna Beach. It was there that I asked him to teach me how to make his irresistible mixed greens with butternut squash dressing that was sprinkled with chorizo dust. I used the cherished recipe in a Thanksgiving story that I was writing.
I was wowed by his talent and charmed by his generosity. His flavor-forward dishes made me hungry when reading the descriptions on his menu; they brought no disappointments on the plate. Years later, when I heard that he was invited to cook at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City, I wasn’t surprised.
Born in Ottawa, Canada, he spent his teenage years in England at his parents’ bed and breakfast, washing dishes and assisting his mother in the kitchen.
An event in high school devoted to rooting out students’ future careers brought out his somewhat tepid enthusiasm for cooking. A year of cooking at school solidified his culinary path, turning that lukewarm interest into straightforward joy. He went on to earn diplomas in cooking and management for the catering industry at Somerset College of Arts and Technology in England.
Lewis joined me in my home kitchen to share the secrets to preparing his mouthwatering Crispy Chicken Sliders that showcase super-crispy fried chicken, chive biscuits, pickle slaw, and an irresistible maple-Dijon sauce. The popular sliders are a specialty at the resort’s Offshore Nine Rooftop Lounge.
The fried chicken stands out for its juiciness, as well as the delightful exterior crunch. Diagonally sliced boneless and skinless chicken breasts are marinated in a buttermilk mix that includes egg whites, garlic powder, and onion powder. After some time in the fridge, next comes a flour-based dredge that includes tapioca starch and EverCrisp Breader (both tapioca starch and EverCrisp Breader are sold online). The bird was fried to perfection.
Butler’s chive biscuits, with their tender crumb and herbal notes, were a luscious partner with the noisy crunch of the chicken. The slaw gave well-seasoned vegetables and pickles a chance to shine, especially after the maple-Dijon sauce was brushed on the bird. The sauce was a surprise in the fact that five simple ingredients made such an irresistible concoction: mayo, plus Dijon, Sriracha, salt, and maple syrup.
He lives in Rancho Santa Margarita with his wife and two daughters. Their favorite foods for him to cook at home include risotto, as well as beignets. He likes to store the uncooked beignets in the fridge and bake them off. Fresh and warm.
Sounds delicious, but even warm beignets have tough competition with those biscuit-encased fried chicken sliders.
Few Know: I’ve run in the Boston Marathon twice, and I also run six days a week.
Drink of Choice: A dry gin martini and, occasionally, an Old Fashioned.
Culinary Mentor: Charlie Trotter, even though I never cooked with him. I learned through his cookbooks. They are old, but the dishes look vibrant and new. I love his presentations.
If I Wasn’t a Chef: I’d be a pilot, but I couldn’t qualify because I am color blind.
Favorite Restaurant: Truly Pizza in Dana Point
Mom’s Cooking Advice: It’s the sauce that makes everything delicious.
Crispy Chicken Sliders with Chive Biscuits, Pickle Slaw, and Maple Dijon Sauce
Yield: 4 servings
Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 3 pieces on the diagonal, pounded slightly with side of chef’s knife
Marinade
3 cups buttermilk2 tablespoons garlic powder2 tablespoons onion powder3 eggs whites
Pickles for Slaw
To make Chef’s refrigerator pickles, in a Dutch oven, add 1 cup water, 1/4 cup of white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 4 parsley stalks and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Stir in 2 cucumbers cut into rounds. Let sit overnight. Store in refrigerator.
Slaw
1 cup of shredded green cabbage1 small carrot, grated or Julienned
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar or honey
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
10 rings of chef’s refrigerator pickles, diced or julienned
Chive Biscuits
20 ounces all-purpose flour
1 1/2 ounces sugar
1/4 ounce salt
1 1/4 ounces baking powder
8 ounces of butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch medium dice
14 ounces buttermilk
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Egg Wash
1 egg and a pinch of salt, beaten with a fork
Dredge for Chicken
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups tapioca starch
1 tablespoon paprika or smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 cup EverCrisp Breader and Batter Boost
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
For Frying
Oil, blended with 75 percent canola oil and 25 percent extra-virgin olive oil, enough to come up 3 1/2 inches in a deep pot
Maple Dijon Sauce
2 cups maple syrup
1 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons Sriracha
1/2 teaspoon salt
Credit: Curt Norris1. Marinate the chicken: In a glass or ceramic bowl, prepare the marinade; add buttermilk, garlic powder, onion powder, and egg whites. Whisk to combine. Add chicken and stir to submerge chicken. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before dredging.
2. Prepare the pickle slaw: Mix all slaw ingredients together and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Prepare the biscuits: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a large bowl stir to combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of an electric free-standing mixer, add butter and flour mixture. Mix until butter is pea size. Add buttermilk and chives, and mix until soft dough forms. This process can also be accomplished by hand. Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3 or 4 times until it comes together. Form into a disc. Dust the top with flour and, using a rolling pin, roll out to 1 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Cut out rounds using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter. Place biscuits on prepared baking sheet; place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position; preheat to 400 degrees. Remove biscuits from freezer. Brush tops with egg wash. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Chef had a great tip here. In the oven, he placed the baking sheet atop an inverted rimmed baking sheet to prevent the biscuit bottoms from over-browning. Nice.
4. Finish the chicken: Combine dredge ingredients in a bowl (flour, tapioca starch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, EverCrisp, salt, and pepper). Stir to combine. Using tongs, dredge chicken in flour mixture, then back into marinade, then back in the flour. Discard marinade. Allow it to sit for 15 minutes before frying. Bring 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot. Place a plate or platter lined with paper towels next to stove. Add chicken one at a time using tongs. Fry until chicken reaches 165 degrees. Drain on paper towels.
5. Prepare maple Dijon sauce: In a medium-small bowl, combine maple syrup, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, Sriracha, and salt.
6. Cut biscuits in half from side to side using a serrated knife. Top bottom portions with a judicious amount of pickle slaw. Top with chicken and brush generous amount of sauce on top of the chicken. Top with tops of the biscuits.
Source: Lewis Butler, executive chef at The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel, in Huntington Beach. The biscuits are served at the resort’s Offshore Nine Rooftop Lounge.
Cathy Thomas is an award-winning food writer and has authored three cookbooks: “50 Best Plants on the Planet,” “Melissa’s Great Book of Produce,” and “Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce.” For more than 30 years, she has written about cooking, chefs, and food trends. She was the first newspaper food journalist to pioneer taping how-to culinary videos for the web. cathythomascooks.com
The post Cathy Thomas Cooks Crispy Chicken Sliders and Chive Biscuits with The Waterfront Hilton’s Executive Chef Lewis Butler appeared first on Orange Coast.