Buttermilk-fried chicken on ForkandBeans

Buttermilk-fried chicken on ForkandBeans

Yes, I realize that the above paragraph makes me seem like a brat, but who doesn’t want a random flower, a glass of wine, or a little thrill for their hard work on any given weekday? Mister, I’m not simply cooking all the time because I blog! So, people, don’t forget to kiss the chef now and again. It’s straightforward, yet it keeps us pleased and you fed.

Now for the supper recipe: I’m not a fan of fried chicken, but it’s delicious.

Buttermilk-fried chicken on ForkandBeans

ForkandBeans’ buttermilk-fried chicken is the greatest fried chicken you’ll ever have!

Ingredients
Brined Chicken:
12 bay leaves, halved 5 lemons
1 bouquet of flowers (4 ounces) 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley (1 ounce) thyme
a half cup of clover honey
1 garlic head, halved across the equator
a quarter cup of black peppercorns
2 quarts (10 ounces) Diamond kosher salt crystals
2 quarts water
For the Fried Chicken, prepare the following:
6 pound chickens, whole (use 2 small chickens)
Brined chicken
Dredging and Frying Ingredients:
For deep frying, use peanut or canola oil.
1 gallon buttermilk
freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt
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6 cups all-purpose flour for coating
a quarter cup of garlic powder
2 tablespoon onion powder
1 teacup paprika plus 1 tbsp
1 teacup cayenne plus 1 tbsp
2 teacup kosher salt plus 1 tbsp
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Fine sea salt or ground fleur de sel
Garnish with rosemary and thyme springs

Instructions
Each chicken should be cut into ten pieces: two legs, two thighs, four breast quarters, and two wings.

Refrigerate for 12 hours after mixing the brine in a container large enough to accommodate the chicken pieces (no longer, or the chicken may become too salty).
Rinse the chicken under cold water to remove any herbs or spices stuck to the skin after taking it from the brine (discard the brine).
Allow to air dry or pat dry with paper towels.
Allow for 1 1/2 hours of resting time at room temperature, or until it reaches room temperature.
You may cook the dark and white meat at the same time if you have two large pots (about 6 inches deep) and a lot of oil; if not, cook the dark meat first, then turn up the heat and cook the white meat.

The oil should not come more than one-third of the way up the edges of the pot, regardless of its size. Heat the saucepan to 320 degrees F with at least 2 inches of peanut oil.

Place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet. Using parchment paper, line a second baking sheet.

In a large mixing basin, combine all of the coating ingredients.

Half of the coating should be transferred to a second big bowl.

Season the buttermilk with salt and pepper and pour it into a third bowl.

Arrange the chicken pieces, one dish of coating, the buttermilk bowl, the second bowl of coating, and the parchment-lined baking sheet in a dipping station.

Dip the chicken thighs in the first bowl of coating just before frying, rotating to coat and blotting off the excess; then dip them in the buttermilk, allowing the excess to run back into the bowl; and last dip them in the second dish of coating.
Place the pan on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Lower the thighs into the heated oil with care. Return the oil to the right temperature by adjusting the heat as needed.
Fry for 2 minutes, then gently move the chicken pieces about in the oil and continue to fry for 11 to 12 minutes, until the chicken is a deep golden brown, cooked through, and extremely crisp, checking the oil temperature and rotating the pieces as needed for even cooking.

In the meantime, cover the chicken drumsticks in the sauce and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Place the cooked thighs skin-side up on a cooling rack to cool while you finish the rest of the chicken. (Putting the pieces skin-side-up allows excess fat to drain, but keeping them skin-side-down traps some fat.)

Cook the chicken drumsticks after ensuring that the oil is at the proper temperature.

When the drumsticks are done, drain them by leaning them meat-side up against the thighs, then season with fine sea salt.

Increase the heat to 340 degrees F and heat the oil.

Coat the chicken breasts and wings in the meanwhile.

Lower the chicken breasts into the heated oil with care and cook for 7 minutes, or until golden brown, cooked through, and crisp.
Turn the skin side up on the rack and season with salt.
Cook for 6 minutes, or until golden brown and well cooked. Turn off the heat and transfer the wings to the rack.
Place the chicken on a serving plate and set aside. Add the herb springs to the boiling oil and fry for a few seconds, then scatter them over the chicken.

Notes: After removing the chicken from the fryer, we let it sit for 7 to 10 minutes to allow it to cool down. If the chicken has been resting for more than 10 minutes, place the tray in a 400°F oven for a minute or two to ensure the crust is crisp and the chicken is hot.