The Hayden / Facebook
The Hayden's The Wild One is a crispy chicken sandwich topped with a pimento cheese- and bacon-stuffed poblano pepper.
That bun company, Artesano, launched a challenge asking restaurants nationwide to come up with their own original spin on the classic chicken sando by incorporating regional culinary methods and flavors.
The result? Eight participating eateries, including San Antonio's homegrown diner chain The Hayden, will go head-to-head in a bracket-style competition to win a $20,000 grand prize for having the tastiest chicken sandwich.
Foodies vote online to support their favorite — and, in the process, they're entered in a chance to win $10,000.
The Hayden took on the challenge of developing a chicken sandwich that represents Texas to a T. The result is The Wild One, a crispy chicken patty topped with a pimento cheese- and bacon-stuffed poblano pepper and a tomatillo salsa aioli.
The pimento cheese is a quintessential Southern dish, chef Peter Gonzales of The Hayden explained to the Current, and he noted that the poblano and salsa verde aioli pay homage to Texas' diverse culture, both social and gastronomic.
"I have been looking at a couple recipes, and there's definitely some competition, but that just gives us more wood for the fire to keep pushing the sandwich, keep making the sandwich very consistent," Gonzales said.
The Wild One will be available to order at The Hayden for the duration of the contest, which will remain in the first round of voting through Sept. 13. Four restaurants will advance to the semifinals, during which voting is open Sept. 16-20. The top two will move on to the finals, for which voting runs Sept. 23-27.
Artesano will announce the winner Nov. 9, which happens to be — you guessed it — National Chicken Sandwich Day.
Each recipe is available here, so anyone who wants to try them at home do so. But, we're guessing most San Antonio foodies are on Team The Hayden.
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