Whether they fly, drive or hop on the 7 train to experience the action of the U.S. Open in Flushing, tennis fans know that off the court in New York, it's all about the food and drinks at the final Grand Slam of the season.
From longtime partners like Lavazza, Heineken and Grey Goose (with its famed Honey Deuce) to A-list celebrity chefs cranking out high-quality bites for hungry patrons, there's certainly no shortage of culinary greatness available on the grounds at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
U.S. Open veteran chefs David Burke, Josh Capon, David Chang and Alex Guarnaschelli also welcomed a friendly new face this season: Michelin-starred restaurant owner and chef James Kent.
"The U.S. Open is a singular New York City sporting event. Dozens and dozens of friends -- from pre-school, from my neighborhood growing up -- have sent me photos of my face in subway ads. This is a life-changing gig for a city kid," Kent told "Good Morning America."
Born and raised in lower Manhattan, Kent has worked in local restaurants since age 12, so joining top billing at America's only Grand Slam as a global award-winning restaurateur has been an exciting addition to his already impeccable culinary resume.
"I’m humbled to be included in the roster of chefs that the Open assembled -- From icons who have been cooking in Manhattan for decades to rookies and up-and-comers."
Kent joined "GMA" on Friday, ahead of the finals action this weekend, to share a taste of his offerings at the tournament, which includes sandwiches, citrus chicken fingers, tomato and peach salad and sticky toffee pudding.
"The chicken sandwich is the epitome of the food that we cook at Crown Shy. It’s spicy and zingy, but also approachable," Kent explained. "But the sandwich is number two on the list of must-taste items this year. The top spot goes to the sticky toffee pudding. It’s the sleeper hit–the Ben Shelton of the food village."
Check out his full recipe below to make a Michelin-starred-level chicken sandwich.
"There's no more quintessential NYC event than what's happening out in Corona Park for the last 2 weeks of the summer," he wrote in an Aug. 29 Instagram post with photos of his Crown Shy outpost in the Food Village. While he may be "new to the tennis world," Kent assured everyone he knows the area well, having watched the Mets during "many hot nights at Shea stadium as a kid" in the '80s.
Ingredients
Chicken marinade
1/2 cup grapefruit juice
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons ginger juice
2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons jalapeno, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons habanero, minced
1 shallot, minced
7 coriander seeds
7 black peppercorns
1 star anise
6-8 boneless chicken thighs
Dry dredge (Yield: 24 qts)
10 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablesoon each ground black pepper, ground coriander, garlic powder
1 teaspoon each onion powder, smoked paprika, ground fennel seed
1 tablespoon salt
Hot sauce mayo (Yield: 5 quarts)
500 grams sliced red pepper
250 grams orange flesh, plus zest
250 grams sliced white onions
1.5 liters orange juice
250 grams sliced fennel
500 grams Kewpie Mayonnaise
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Red habanero pepper, as needed
Other
Bibb lettuce
Watermelon radish
Jalapeno
Buns
Directions
For the marinade: In a large mixing bowl, combine the citrus and ginger juices and salt. Whisk to make sure the salt is fully dissolved. Place the juice mixture, jalapeno, habanero and shallots in the bowl of a food processor or high-performance blender, and lightly pulse to combine until smooth.
Place the chicken in a Tupperware container or large Ziploc bag, cover with the marinade then add the whole coriander, black peppercorns and star anise. Place in the refrigerator and allow to sit for 24 hours. After a full day in the refrigerator, remove the chicken from the marinade. At this stage, it is ready to be dredged and fried.
For the dry dredge: Grind whole spices and mix into flour with all remaining ingredients. Place marinated chicken thighs in dredge and press firmly into flour mixture, then place onto a wire rack. Let chicken sit for at least one hour before frying for 2-3 minutes at 350 F, or until lightly golden brown, then remove from oil and place on a wire rack. Re-fry chicken after 20-30 minutes at 375 F for about 2 minutes, or until fully cooked through.
For the hot sauce mayo: Sweat the onions, fennel and peppers in a rondeau over medium heat. Add orange flesh and orange juice and reduce until all of the liquid has evaporated and peppers are very soft. Blend one pint of the mix in a blender at a time with one half of a habanero and EVOO; blend until smooth. Cool pepper mix down, then whisk into mayo.
Salad: Remove outer leaves of bibb lettuce and discard, Save whole inner leaves for sandwich, using 1 to 2 nice leaves per sandwich. Slice watermelon radish into a fine julienne using a mandolin with teeth and hold in ice water, remove before assembling sandwiches. Slice jalapeno thinly into round shaves and hold in ice water.
Assembly: Lightly toast bun and place hot sauce mayo on the bottom, place fried chicken on top. Top chicken with more mayo and the bibb lettuce, finish with watermelon radish and jalapeno shaves.
Try this sandwich at home for a taste of the U.S. Open in your own kitchen and click here for more drink recipes like the Maestro Dobel Ace Paloma or Honey Deuce to wash it all down.
Aperol is yet another newcomer on the beverage scene at the U.S. Open marking the Italian aperitivo's first year as an Official Partner of the tournament featuring two indoor-outdoor patio locations serving up the brand's iconic spritz.
