StovetopSouthern
Buttermilk fried chicken
A brine in buttermilk, a seasoned dredge, 325°F fat. Dark and white on the same bird, pulled at different times.
Made it?
1 hr · 40 min hands-on · pull 175°F · rest 5 min
Ingredients
8 lb on the fire · ~4.4 lb to the table · 9 plates at 8 oz
- chicken, cut into 10 pieces, or 4 lb mixed1 (8 lb)
- buttermilk2 cups
- flour2 cups
- kosher salt2 tsp
- paprika2 tsp
- black pepper1 tsp
- garlic powder1 tsp
- for ½-inch frylard or oil
Method
- 1
Buttermilk and a pinch of salt, 4 hours or overnight.
- 2
Flour, paprika, pepper, garlic. Dredge. Rest 10. 325°F fat. White meat 6–8 minutes a side to 160. Dark 8–10 to 175.
- 3
Rack, not paper towels. Rest 5. If the crust is dark before the bone is done, the fat was too hot.
If you don’t have it
- whole chicken → chicken thighs. Keep the same pull. Leaner cooks faster and dries sooner.
- chicken, cut into 10 pieces, or 4 lb mixed → What you actually have, if it is the same muscle family. Nashville hot in this library is the cayenne finish. This is the un-sauced fry.
Same cook, different day
Weeknight
Less time. Same seasoning, hotter fire, watch the probe. Do not skip the rest.
On the plate
With this, try
- With this dish, try making mayo slaw.
In the morning. It wants an hour in the fridge. Shred, mayo, a splash of vinegar, salt. Not soup.
20 min
- With this dish, try making hushpuppies.
When the fish comes off, or the last minutes of ribs. Cornmeal, buttermilk, onion, 350°F oil until they float blond.
25 min
- With this dish, try making potato salad.
While the meat rests. Waxy potatoes, salt in the water, mustard-mayo, pickle, celery. Fold when the potatoes are still warm.
45 min