Start Memorial Day Weekend off with this crunchy, savory, flavorful chicken sandwich on a homemade roll, topped with a special sauce you made yourself. Holiday weekends go by so quickly.

However, lately families have been taking more time at home the past few months to try baking breads, muffins and maybe even rolls.

Baking soft fresh rolls for this sandwich and for your favorite Memorial Day grilled burgers is a wonderful way to kick off the picnic season.

For this crunchy chicken sandwich, I used inexpensive chicken thighs, thinly sliced romaine and iceberg lettuce we had in the refrigerator and topped the patty high with some farm-fresh dill pickles and my freshly made sauce.

The softness of the home-baked roll, the crunchiness of the cool lettuce and the hot crisp chicken patty along with the savory sauce and salty dill slice makes for a perfect handful of food to begin your holiday weekend.

As we remember all of the men and women who bravely served our country, why not start your weekend around the table talking and sharing this inexpensive picnic meal.

Along with some chips and a cold drink, this sandwich has all the fixings to make a light festive picnic lunch or evening meal.

Crunchy Fried Chicken sandwiches

Makes 4 sandwiches

4 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless

1 tablespoon of kosher salt

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 cup of buttermilk

1 egg, room temperature

1½ cups of all-purpose flour

¼ cup of cornstarch

1 tablespoon of kosher salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

1½ teaspoons of paprika

2 teaspoons of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of onion powder

½-1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

4 rolls

Romaine and iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon of celery seed powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 clove of garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 tablespoon of shallots, minced or 2 tablespoons of chives, finely chopped

Pickles (Kosher dill)

Frank’s Hot sauce (or Tabasco sauce)

Canola or safflower oil

To prepare the chicken, mix the sugar and salt together. Sprinkle a little of the mix over the chicken thighs and reserve the rest of the sprinkle. This will help tenderize the chicken and keep it juicy.

Place the chicken on a plate and cover with plastic wrap and place it into the refrigerator overnight. The next day, set the chicken out for about one hour before you are ready to fry.

For the crunchy fried chicken coating, in a large measuring cup, pour in your buttermilk and the egg. Mix to combine. Set the mixture aside until ready to use.

In another large mixing bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients, spices and salt. Take your chicken and coat in the flour mixture. Once all of the chicken pieces are evenly coated, take two tablespoons of the liquid ingredients and mix thoroughly into the dry. You want the clumps in the dry mixture. Take each piece of chicken and dip them into the wet mixture, then into the dry mix. Press the chicken firmly into the flour mixture, so once frying, the coating will adhere. Place the chicken on a plate until ready to fry. Take a large Dutch oven or deep pot, fill it about halfway to two-thirds of the way up with oil.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil and a wire rack. This is for when the chicken is done frying. When the oil is ready, gently place the chicken in the hot oil using kitchen tongs. Fry the chicken for about 8 minutes.

Once the chicken is frying in the oil, the oil will decrease in temperature slightly. That is fine. The temperature should be between 325 to 350 degrees while frying. Gently flip the chicken over every few minutes, so it cooks and browns evenly. The chicken should read a temperature around 170-180 degrees when done and tested with a cooking thermometer. Place the chicken on the wire rack to cool slightly.

For the seasoned mayo, mix the mayonnaise, celery seed powder, salt and pepper, minced garlic, lemon juice and shallots or chives together and set aside.

While the chicken is resting, lightly toast the rolls with butter in a skillet. Once they are lightly toasted, take the bottom of the roll and spread with the seasoned mayo.

Then stack up the chicken, pickles, hot sauce if you want, lettuce, more sauce and then the top it with the other half of the roll.

Sarah Schweitzer is dual-certified in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry from the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. She is a former prep and line cook for Executive Chef David Crespo at “Fresh Kitchen by Robert Irvine” in the new Downtown Allentown Market. She can be reached at sarah.schweitzer18@gmail.com.