By The apartment complex referral paid off: a new commercial job, a medical office building in Gonzales. Twenty exam rooms, a lab, reception area. Bigger than the strip mall. I took it. Beaumont Electrical is seven employees and growing, and I'm starting to see the shape of something permanent — not just a business but a legacy, a thing with my name on it that could outlast me the way Joey's name outlasted him on the stern of a boat that Gustav took but that everyone in Cocodrie still remembers.
DeShawn passed his journeyman exam. I took him to lunch at a po'boy shop on Chimes Street — the same shop where I took Marcus when he passed. The tradition continues. I told DeShawn he'd earned it. I told him he was one of the best electricians I'd ever trained. I told him — and this was hard, because I'm not a man who says things easily — that Joey would have been proud to know him. DeShawn said, "Who's Joey?" And I told him. I told him about my father. About the fishing and the roux and the cancer and the chemicals and the bayou. And DeShawn listened the way young men listen when they realize their boss is also a human being with a father who died and a tattoo on his forearm and a grief that lives in the roux. He said, "He sounds like a good man." He was, cher. The best.
Every time one of my guys passes his journeyman exam, I take him to lunch — that’s the tradition, and traditions matter more than most people give them credit for. We didn’t make it to Chimes Street that day, but I’ve been making these chicken sliders at home ever since, because they carry the same feeling: something worth celebrating, something you put effort into, something that rewards the work. The sesame slaw has that crunch that reminds me of a good po’boy dressed right — and if Joey taught me anything, it’s that you don’t let a milestone pass without a proper meal.
Chicken Sliders with Sesame Slaw
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, pounded to even thickness
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 slider buns or small brioche rolls
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (optional)
- For the Sesame Slaw:
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1 medium carrot, julienned or shredded
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Make the slaw. In a large bowl, combine green cabbage, purple cabbage, and carrot. Whisk together rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and honey, then pour over the cabbage mixture. Toss well, sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions, and refrigerate while you cook the chicken.
- Season the chicken. Pat chicken thighs dry and season both sides with garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Cook the chicken. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken thighs 5–6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature 165°F). Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 3 minutes, then slice or leave whole depending on bun size.
- Toast the buns. While chicken rests, halve the slider buns and toast cut-side down in the same skillet for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden.
- Assemble the sliders. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise (and hot sauce if using) on the bottom bun. Add a piece of chicken, then a generous heap of sesame slaw. Cap with the top bun and serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 29g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 540mg