The cornbread is the star of the show here - brown butter, fresh corn, and jalapeños really take it up a notch
Method
Start by whisking together buttermilk, pickle juice, cayenne, garlic powder, paprika, and celery salt. Add the turkey thighs, then leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours but preferably 8.
Next, start on the cranberry sauce. Add the frozen cranberries, sugar, orange juice, chillies, orange zest, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt to a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes until the cranberries burst. Transfer to a bowl and leave to refrigerate. For the cornbread, butter a 9-inch square baking pan and preheat the oven to 200 C. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter to a pan over medium heat, add the corn, and cook until brown specs appear in the butter. Keep the pan moving, then transfer to a bowl to cool slightly. Strain out the corn.
In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, browned butter, and eggs. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until combined, be careful to not overmix. Add the baking pan to the oven with some extra butter, and leave it in there for around 5 minutes or until the butter is foaming.Transfer to the hot baking pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle over the browned corn and some thinly sliced jalapeno. Pop into the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with flaky salt. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing
Remove the turkey from the buttermilk brine and place on a wire rack. For the dry dredge, combine plain flour, cornflour, and the same spices that were in the brine. Add a spoonful of the buttermilk to the flour, and mix up - this is where all the crispy craggly bits come from!
Preheat the oil to 180 C. Add the turkey to the flour mixture and make sure it’s well coated, scrunching the flour into the turkey to ensure maximum coating. Add to the hot oil and fry until the thickest part of the meat reaches an internal temperature of 73 C
Assemble the sandwich! Slice a piece of the cornbread in half and lightly toast in a buttered pan. Add mayo, spicy cranberry, then the fried turkey. Finish with a sprinkle of chives and the top piece of cornbread (with more cranberry), and serve with a side of gravy to dunk. Enjoy!
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