Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Name: Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 13 h
Total time: 13 h 50 min
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 1⅔ kg (3½ lb) chicken pieces, bone in, skin on, drumsticks, thighs and breasts cut in half (8–10 pieces); 500 ml (2 cups) buttermilk; 16 g (2¾ tsp) fine sea salt; 1 tbsp hot sauce; 1 tsp garlic powder; 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour; 30 g (¼ cup) cornstarch; 1 tsp baking powder; 8 g (1⅓ tsp) fine sea salt; 2 tsp paprika; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; ½ tsp cayenne pepper; 2 l (2 qt) neutral oil, peanut, sunflower or canola; for frying

Brined overnight, double-dredged and fried for a craggy, crunchy crust

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 50 min
Total: 13 h 50 min
Level: Some skill

Southern fried chicken is a celebration dish worth doing properly: bone-in pieces soaked overnight in seasoned buttermilk, then dredged in flour with a little of the buttermilk worked in to create craggy clusters that fry into a shattering crust. Fry at a steady temperature and use a thermometer — it's the difference between golden and greasy.

Ingredients

Brine

1⅔ kgchicken pieces, bone in, skin on (3½ lb)drumsticks, thighs and breasts cut in half (8–10 pieces)
500 mlbuttermilk (2 cups)
16 gfine sea salt (2¾ tsp)
1 tbsphot sauce
1 tspgarlic powder

Coating

250 gall-purpose flour (2 cups)
30 gcornstarch (¼ cup)
1 tspbaking powder
8 gfine sea salt (1⅓ tsp)
2 tsppaprika
1 tspgarlic powder
1 tsponion powder
1 tspfreshly ground black pepper
½ tspcayenne pepper

To fry

2 lneutral oil (2 qt)peanut, sunflower or canola; for frying

Allergens: gluten, milk
Origin: United States (South)
Season: Summer, All

Method

The day before, whisk the buttermilk, salt, hot sauce and garlic powder in a large bowl. Add the chicken, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate 8–24 hours. 12 h
Whisk the coating ingredients in a wide bowl. Drizzle in 3 tbsp of the buttermilk brine and rub it in with your fingers to make small shaggy lumps.
Lift the chicken pieces from the brine, letting the excess drip off. Dredge each piece in the flour (turn it to coat all over), pressing firmly so the clusters stick. Set on a rack and rest 15 minutes so the coating hydrates. 15 min
Heat the oil in a large, deep heavy pot of at least 6 L — no more than one-third full, as the oil foams and rises when the chicken goes in — to 175°C (350°F). Heat the oven to 150°C (300°F) and set a rack over a sheet pan.
Fry the chicken in batches without crowding, so the oil stays at 150–165°C (300–325°F) once the chicken goes in. Turn every few minutes until deep golden brown and crisp, 10–12 minutes for wings and drumsticks, 12–15 for thighs and breasts. 25 min
Check every piece with a thermometer next to the bone: all must reach 74°C (165°F). Thighs and drumsticks are even better at 80°C (176°F), when their connective tissue has softened. If any piece is under, finish it on the rack in the oven for 5–10 minutes. 10 min
Drain on the rack (not paper towel, which steams the crust) and rest 5 minutes before serving. 5 min

Why it works

Acidic, salted buttermilk seasons the meat deeply and loosens its proteins so it stays juicy through high heat. Working a little buttermilk into the flour forms clumps that fry into the trademark craggy crust, while cornstarch and baking powder make it lighter and crunchier. Frying at a moderate, steady temperature gives time for the bone-in meat to cook before the crust over-browns.

Common mistakes

Oil too hot: the crust goes dark while the meat is raw at the bone. Keep it at 150–165°C (300–325°F) during frying.
Crowding the pot drops the temperature and makes greasy chicken.
Skipping the rest after dredging; the coating falls off in the oil.

Variations

Nashville hot: Whisk 2 tbsp cayenne, 1 tsp brown sugar and 1 tsp paprika into 100 ml of the hot frying oil and brush over the fried chicken.
Boneless tenders: Use 800 g chicken breast strips; brine 2–4 hours and fry 4–5 minutes to 74°C (165°F).

Make ahead and storage

Brine up to 24 hours. Fried chicken is good cold the next day; to re-crisp, bake on a rack at 200°C (400°F) for 12–15 minutes.

Notes

Never leave hot oil unattended and keep a lid nearby. Peanut oil is traditional: add peanut if using peanut oil (highly refined peanut oil is usually tolerated, but check with anyone allergic).