This Southern fried chicken dish relies on a spiced brown sugar saltwater, an egg-enriched buttermilk digup, and a double covering of flour (first plain, then in a mix amped up with cornstarch and spices). The outcome is juicy chicken with extra-crispy, golden brown skin that’ll please even the pickiest eaters. The dish comes from the now closed Buxton Hall in Asheville, North Carolina, one of our Best New Restaurants, 2016.
To conserve a coupleof dollars at the market, buy a entire chicken and cut it into parts yourself (two thighs, 2 breasts, 2 wings, and 2 drumsticks). If you have a deep fryer, now’s the time to pull it out; if not, a big pot with a heavy bottom will do. If you’re going the 2nd path, you’ll requirement a deep-fry thermometer to display the oil, and either method you’ll desire a meat thermometer to makesure the chicken pieces reach their perfect internal temperaturelevel. An apron and a long-sleeve t-shirt are likewise helpful to safeguard you from hot oil spatters.
If it’s your veryfirst time making fried chicken, be sure to map out your time. The chicken requires to marinade for at least 8 hours, however is even muchbetter when provided a complete day. You’ll likewise notification we advise a greater last temperaturelevel for dark meat (the chicken thighs and drumsticks) than we do for white meat (the chicken breasts and wings). The greater temperature provides the connective tissues in the dark meat time to break down, resulting in the finest fried chicken ever with the tenderest meat possible. Serve with appetizing mayo-based white barbecue sauce, sweet bread and butter pickles, and plenty of paper towels.
Looking for heat? Try Hattie B’s Nashville hot chicken dish laced with cayenne pepper and hot sauce. Out of buttermilk? Check out our advised buttermilk alternatives.
Ingredients
8 servings
Brine
1
tsp. brown mustard seeds
1
tsp. cumin seeds
1
tsp. fennel seeds
5
oz. kosher salt (½ cup Diamond Crystal or ¼ cup Morton)
½
cup (packed; 100 g) light brown sugar
1
tsp. black peppercorns
2
bay leaves
2
(3½–4-lb.) chickens, each cut into 8 pieces
Assembly
6
cups (750 g) all-purpose flour, divided
1
Tbsp. cornstarch
1
Tbsp. newly ground black pepper
1
Tbsp. garlic powder
1
Tbsp. onion powder
1
Tbsp. smoked paprika
1½
tsp. ground fennel or carefully ground fennel seeds
1
Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
2
large eggs, beaten to mix
2
cups buttermilk
Vegetable oil (for frying; about 6 cups)
White Barbecue Sauce and bread-and-butter pickles (for serving)
Special Equipment
A deep-fry thermometer
Preparation
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Brine
Step 1
Toast 1 tsp. brown mustard seeds, 1 tsp. cumin seeds, and 1 tsp. fennel seeds in a big pot over medium-low heat, tossing typically, upuntil aromatic and mustard seeds are beginning to pop, about 1 minute. Add 5 oz. kosher salt, ½ cup (packed; 100 g) light brown sugar, 1 tsp. black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, a