Making Popeye’s Fried Chicken Meal At Home | But Better

Red Beans and Rice

1. Melt the bacon fat in a large stock pot over medium heat.
2. Add  the onion, bell pepper and garlic then season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften.
3. Add the Creole seasoning, paprika, and cayenne and stir to combine. Toast the spices for 1 minute or until fragrant. 
4. Add 8 cups (2L) filtered water, the red beans and ham hocks and stir to incorporate.
5. Tie the thyme and sage together with kitchen twine to create a bouquet and toss into the pot along with the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours.
6. Add the celery and sausage. Simmer for an additional 45-60 minutes or until the beans are tender. Season with salt, if necessary.
7. Divide into bowls, add a scoop of rice on top, and garnish with green onions.

Biscuits

Biscuit:

1. Preheat the oven to 450℉ ( 230℃.) 
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse together the flour, salt, sugar, cream of tartar, and baking powder until combined.
4. Add the cold butter and pulse again until the butter is incorporated but remains in pea-sized chunks.
5. Pour the flour mixture into a large bowl and then, while stirring constantly with a fork, pour in the buttermilk. Once a very shaggy dough forms, turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and quickly, but gently, knead the dough until it just barely holds together. Do not overmix.
6. Dust the biscuit dough and work surface with flour and roll the dough into a ¾” (18mm) -thick rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds (like a letter), roll it out, fold it a second time and then roll it out one last time to ¾” (18mm)-thick.
7. Use a round or fluted biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits. Evenly space the biscuits on the parchment-lined baking sheet and brush the tops with buttermilk.
8. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until puffed, golden brown all over and cooked through. While the biscuits bake, make the salted honey butter.
9. Remove the biscuits from the oven, brush with salted honey butter and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool at room temperature.

Salted Honey Butter:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the honey and cook until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and whisk in the cold butter until emulsified. Keep warm until the biscuits are done baking.

Mac and Cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat then season generously with salt.
2. Stir in the macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is ust beginning to bubble, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 45-60 seconds or until pale yellow in color.
4. Whisk in the milk and heavy cream and cook until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of milk.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheeses, to melt. Season with salt, to taste, and onion powder. Continue to stir until the sauce is as smooth as possible and all the cheese is melted.
6. Add the warm macaroni, stir to coat and then stir in the garlic. 
7. Keep the mac and cheese warm until ready to serve.

Fried Chicken

1. Fill a 7-8 quart (6.6-7.5L) heavy bottomed pot just over halfway with oil. Heat to 350℉ (175℃). Line a baking sheet with a cooling rack and place that next to the hot oil.
2. For the buttermilk dip: In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, pickle juice, 2.5 teaspoons (14g) salt, 1 teaspoon (5g) MSG, paprika, 1 tablespoon (9g) garlic powder, ½ teaspoon (.5g) onion powder, 1 teaspoon (4g) Creole seasoning and a couple shakes of hot sauce. Add the chicken and toss to coat and submerge. Set aside.
3. For the dredge: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1.5 teaspoons (7g) MSG, the remaining ½ teaspoon (.5g) onion powder, the remaining 2.5 teaspoons (6g) garlic powder, white pepper, the remaining 1 teaspoon (4g) Creole seasoning and the remaining 1 tablespoon (7g) salt.
4. Dust a baking sheet with the seasoned flour and set aside next to the breading station.
5. Add one piece of chicken at a time from the buttermilk into the seasoned flour and firmly press to coat the entire surface area. Shake off any excess flour and then transfer the chicken  to the flour-dusted baking sheet. Continue dredging the remaining pieces of chicken. 
6. Fry the chicken in 2 batches. The oil temperature will drop down to about 300-325℉ / 149-163℃. Maintain the heat at 325℉ and fry for about 5 minutes or until golden brown, crispy and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165℉ / 163℃. Transfer to the cooking rack to drain off excess oil and repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken. Serve immediately.