Fried Chicken
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings
- Total: 15 hr 50 min
- Prep: 1 hr 30 min
- Inactive: 13 hr 10 min
- Cook: 1 hr 10 min
Ingredients
Chicken Brine:
9 cups brown chicken stock
1 cup pickle brine (can be store-bought pickles and use that brine)
2 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 bay leaf
1 orange, quartered
1/2 head garlic, split
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
2 whole chickens, cut into 10 even pieces
Chicken Dredge:
1 quart all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons chicken spice, recipe follows
Canola oil, for frying
Hot Sauce, for serving, recipe follows
Buttermilk Biscuits, for serving, recipe follows
Bread and Butter Pickles, for serving, recipe follows
Chicken Spice:
2 tablespoons seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay
4 teaspoons paprika
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground celery seeds
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Hot Sauce:
4 pounds red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 pound jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
5 fish peppers, stemmed and seeded
4 cloves garlic
4 ounces fresh thyme, leaves picked and finely chopped
1 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 grams xanthan gum
2 teaspoons ground white pepper
4 limes, zested and juiced
Salt
Buttermilk Biscuits:
10 ounces cold butter, diced
3 pounds all-purpose flour
1 1/2 ounces sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
4 tablespoons salt
34 fluid ounces buttermilk, cold
1 cup fresh chopped chives
6 egg yolks
Egg wash, for brushing
Bread and Butter Pickles:
2 1/2 pounds Kirby cucumbers, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds (about 4 cups)
1/2 quart thinly sliced Spanish onions
2 1/2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno, stems removed and split in half
1/2 cup salt
1/2 quart apple cider vinegar
1/2 quart white distilled vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
1/2 tablespoon allspice
1/2 tablespoon celery seeds
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon turmeric
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
Directions
- Chicken Dredge:
- For the brine: Combine the stock, brine, salt, seeds, bay leaf, oranges, garlic and thyme in a large pot and bring up to a high simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and cool the liquid to 40 degrees F and reserve until time to brine the chicken.
- Add the chicken to the brine, place in the fridge and brine for 12 hours.
- For the dredge: Combine the flour, cornmeal, cornstarch and Chicken Spice evenly in a large mixing bowl.
- Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour mixture and allow a minimum of 30 minutes for the flour to adhere. Re-dredge just before frying.
- Heat 3 inches canola oil in a deep pot or a deep-fryer over high heat to 350 degrees F. A rule of thumb: If you drop a pinch of flour into the oil and it fries up immediately, you're good to go. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and get ready a baking sheet with a rack.
- Take the chicken out of the dredge, shake off excess flour and fry in batches until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the rack and sprinkle some of the chicken spice over the fried chicken pieces. Hold in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve the fried chicken on a platter with Hot Sauce, Buttermilk Biscuits and Bread and Butter Pickles on the side.
- Chicken Spice:
- Grind the seafood seasoning, paprika, salt, celery seeds, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. Mix together.
- Hot Sauce:
- Juice half of the red bell peppers. Pass through a fine mesh strainer and reserve.
- In a large pot, sweat out the remaining red bell peppers, the jalapenos, fish peppers, garlic and thyme. Add the vinegar, sugar, xanthan gum, white pepper, lime zest and juice. Simmer for 15 minutes. Puree with the juice from the bell peppers and pass through a fine mesh strainer. Season with salt.
- Cook's Note: If you can't find fish peppers, can use any red mild pepper (scale of 4, so like a mild jalapeno).
- Buttermilk Biscuits:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cut the cold butter into the flour and combine with the sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine the buttermilk, chives and yolks separately. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, fold in gently and chill.
- Roll out the dough to a 1/2-inch-thick sheet. Fold into thirds, turn a quarter of the way around and fold into thirds again. Rest for 10 minutes. Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness again and cut into 1 1/2-inch squares.
- Brush with egg wash and bake for 8 minutes. Yield: 40 biscuits.
- Bread and Butter Pickles:
- Toss the cucumbers, onions, garlic and jalapenos with the salt and macerate overnight in the fridge.
- Combine the vinegars, sugar, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, allspice, celery seeds, red pepper flakes, turmeric, cloves and bay leaf in a large pot and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Strain over the cucumbers. Cover and allow to cool to room temperature.