← Nouns Cooking · American

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks)
• 300 ml Buttermilk
• 1 Eggs
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp Hot sauce (optional)
• 250 g plain flour
• 30 g Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Paprika
• 2 tsp Garlic powder
• 1 tbsp Black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp Dried thyme
• ½ tsp Cayenne pepper
• 1.5 l vegetable or peanut oil, for frying

Method

1. Whisk the buttermilk, egg, salt and hot sauce in a large bowl. Add the chicken, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. Mix all the coating ingredients in a wide bowl. Drizzle in 3 tbsp of the buttermilk marinade and rub it through with your fingers to make little clumps; these become the craggy bits.
3. Lift the chicken out a piece at a time, let the excess drip off, then press it firmly into the flour all over. Set the pieces on a rack and rest for 10 min so the coating sticks.
4. Heat about 5 cm of oil in a large heavy pot to 170°C (340°F); a thermometer really helps here. Fry 3 or 4 pieces at a time, without crowding, for 12–15 min, turning now and then, until deep golden and cooked through: 75°C (165°F) next to the bone.
5. Drain on a rack set over a tray and sprinkle with a little salt. Keep the cooked pieces warm in a 120°C (250°F) oven while you fry the rest, letting the oil come back to temperature between batches.

Tips

• No buttermilk? Stir 1 tbsp lemon juice into 300 ml milk and leave it for 10 min.
• Never leave hot oil unattended, keep a lid nearby, and let the oil cool completely before you move or strain it.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food RecipeTin Eats