Today I shall show you how to make perfect fried chicken.
And after that, I shall give you lots of side options, one of which involves kale in case you would like to balance out your deep-fried sins. Hallelujah.
Fried Chicken
Makes 4-6 servings.
- 2 cups dill pickle juice
- 1 cup buttermilk (plus more, if needed, to cover chicken)
- 3 pounds chicken thighs and legs
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon coarse ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika (high-quality so it’s not too spicy or bitter)
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon beau monde
- 1 tablespoon sage
- 4 cups vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
Pour the pickle juice and buttermilk in a large bowl. Stir together. Place the chicken in it and make sure each piece is well coated. Allow the chicken to rest in buttermilk mixture for about 60 minutes. The waiting time will allow the buttermilk to tenderize the chicken and warm the chicken up a bit which allows for more even cooking. Set aside on the countertop. After the chicken has been sitting for about 50 minutes, place dry ingredients in a medium-large bowl and whisk together until well combined, and preheat the deep fryer.
Remove a piece of chicken from the buttermilk and coat with the seasoned flour mixture. Dip in buttermilk again and coat one more time. Place the coated chicken pieces on a baking tray. Repeat until all pieces of chicken are double-coated. Let them rest for 30 minutes. This helps the breading to stay on the chicken when you fry it.
Preheat the cooking oil in the deep fryer to 350°F. If using a heavy-duty pot, just use a cooking thermometer to watch the temperature closely the entire time you’re frying the chicken.
When oil reaches 350°F, carefully place 2 pieces of chicken in the fryer – perhaps up to 4 in a larger deep fryer. The temperature will drop considerably if you place too many pieces in at once, so monitor your cooking temperature to make sure it doesn’t drop too low. Watch closely so the oil can stay at least at 350°F during the cooking process. If the oil gets too cool, it will make the breading fall off and drench the chicken in grease. This can be prevented but not putting too many pieces in at one time. Line a clean baking sheet with paper towels.
Cook for five minutes. Using tongs, carefully flip the chicken over to cook the other side for 5-10 more minutes. After chicken reaches 165F, place it on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain excess grease and cool a bit.
Sprinkle with some salt right away. Repeat until all of the chicken is cooked. Serve with coleslaw, mashed potatoes, cornbread, or whatever you fancy.
Enjoy with fries, potatoes & gravy, kale salad, waffles & honey, or cornbread & honey butter.