Hey Chickenheads! Dog Haus, as part of its ongoing Chef Collaboration series, has its own new chicken thing. It’s called the Honolulu Hot Chicken sandwich.
The new sandwich was developed by barbeque specialist Logan Sandoval, who basically lives for fire and barbeque.
“He has some Hawaiian roots,” explained Würstmacher (that’s a “sausage maker”) and noted chef Adam Gertler. “We really wanted to do something that featured the King’s Hawaiian pretzel roll, which is a new item that King’s Hawaiian is doing.”
Just having the rolls made is a very time-consuming process, he explained to us earlier this week.
“Basically risen dough is dunked or sprayed with lye, which is a caustic alkaline solution,” Gertler explained. “And that is what gives pretzels their pretzel flavor, the maltiness that is from the lye.”
Gertler continued, “If you’ve ever had a pretzel bun or a Belgian pretzel, that signature texture is part of the result of the interaction with that lye, which affects the texture. There is a flavor that comes from that.”
Chemistry aside, the sandwich begins with the company’s natural style, hot chicken, a cured chicken tender. That’s dunked in a hot oil, and then seasoned with hot spice. It’s put on the pretzel roll, and then dressed with a miso aioli and a sweet chili sauce, some pickled onions and carrots, and then Wasabi furikake, a popular Japanese/Hawaiian ingredient, which contains seaweed and wasabi and Sesame seed.
“So, said Gertler, “It gives it a little flavor, little texture, and then finally some scallions on top. And that is the Honolulu hot chicken.”
It’s delivered with a Ranch dressing, and a cheese sauce. We also opted for ketchup.
We tried the sandwich. It rocked. It was devoured in just a few spicy bites. And that’s no lye.
