Fried Chicken
This recipe was originally posted as part of The Weekend Project. Click here to see the recipe in its entirety, or follow the links below for additional recipe instruction.
Ingredients
1 gallon water
1 cup kosher salt
½ cup sugar
4 to 5 sprigs thyme
3 12-oz. bottles Louisiana hot sauce, divided
1 5-oz. bottle Tabasco
4 skin-on chickens, cut into 8 pieces each
10 eggs
1 gallon buttermilk
4 cups all purpose flour
4 cups corn flour
2 cups cornstarch
1 cup Creole Spice Mix (Recipe here)
Canola oil for frying
Preparation
●In a container large enough to hold all the chicken pieces, whisk together the water, sugar and salt until dissolved. Add the thyme, 2 bottles Louisiana hot sauce and Tabasco and whisk again. Submerge the chicken pieces in the brine, cover and refrigerate 24 hours
● In another container large enough to hold all the chicken pieces, whisk the eggs, buttermilk and remaining bottle of Louisiana hot sauce until incorporated. Remove the chicken pieces from the brine and submerge them in the buttermilk bath.
● In the bottom of a shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish, stir together the all-purpose flour, corn flour, cornstarch and Creole Spice Mix until well incorporated.
● Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Fill a Dutch oven with 3 inches of canola oil, place a frying thermometer or candy thermometer in the oil and set over high heat until it reaches 300 degrees.
● Meanwhile, place 2 racks on top of 2 sheet trays. Remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk bath 1 piece at a time and dredge in the flour mixture. Place the chicken on the rack and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Dredge each piece in the flour again and return them to the rack.
● Carefully add the breasts to the oil, working in batches as necessary to not overcrowd the Dutch oven. Fry 3 to 4 minutes, then turn and fry another 3 to 5 minutes. Turn again and fry another 3 to 5 minutes, until the skin is a crisp, golden brown. Remove the breasts from the oil and place on the second rack. Repeat with the chicken thighs, adjusting the temperature as needed to keep the oil at 300 degrees. Place the tray in the oven between batches to keep warm.
● Add the legs to the oil, working in batches as necessary to not overcrowd the Dutch oven. Fry 3 to 4 minutes, then turn and fry another 3 to 5 minutes. Turn again and let fry another 2 to 3 minutes, until the skin is a crisp, golden brown. Remove the legs from the oil and place on the second rack. Repeat with the chicken wings, adjusting the temperature as needed to keep the oil at 300 degrees.
● Place the tray with the fried chicken in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve. Fried chicken will keep, refrigerated, 1 week.
