Buttermilk fried chicken
Bone-in chicken soaked in seasoned buttermilk, dredged in spiced flour and fried until the crust is craggy, deep golden and very crisp.
Method
- 1
Whisk the buttermilk, hot sauce and 2 tsp salt together in a large bowl.
- 2
Add the chicken, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- 3
Mix the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, baking powder and 1.5 tsp salt in a wide dish.
- 4
Drizzle 3 tbsp of the buttermilk marinade into the flour and rub it in with your fingertips to make small, shaggy clumps.
- 5
Lift each piece of chicken from the buttermilk, let the excess drip off, then press it firmly into the flour, turning to coat all over.
- 6
Set the coated pieces on a wire rack and leave them so the coating turns pasty and sticks well.
- 7
Pour oil into a large heavy pot to a depth of about 4 cm, keeping it no more than a third full, and heat it to 175°C.
- 8
Fry half the chicken, turning once, keeping the oil near 160°C, until deep golden and the meat by the bone reaches 74°C.
- 9
Drain the pieces on a wire rack set over a tray and keep them warm in an oven at 100°C.
- 10
Bring the oil back to 175°C and fry the second batch the same way.
- 11
Rest the chicken on the rack so the crust sets and the juices settle.
Notes
- A thermometer makes all the difference. If the oil is too hot the crust burns before the meat is cooked; too cool and the chicken turns greasy.
- Drain on a rack rather than kitchen paper so the underside stays crisp.
- Breasts can be used too. Cut each in half across so the pieces cook in about the same time as the thighs.
Equipment
Large bowl, Wide shallow dish, Large heavy casserole or deep pot, Cooking thermometer, Tongs, 2 wire racks, 2 baking trays