There is no surprise how much we love a good fried chicken for those who follow our work. In this week's recipe, we decided to share one of our favorites, if not our favorite, Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe.
This recipe is from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc At Home cookbook, and it's one of the best buttermilk fried chicken recipes we have tried.
The chicken is brined for 12 hours in a herb-lemon brine for this recipe, which seasons the meat and helps it stay juicy. The flour is seasoned with garlic and onion powders, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. The chicken is dredged in the seasoned flour, dipped in buttermilk, and then dredged again in the flour. The crust becomes almost feathered and is very crisp.
Two 1.1 to 1.3 kg (2½- to 3-pound) chickens
5 lemons, halved
12 bay leaves
113 g (4 ounces) flat-leaf parsley
28 g (1 ounce) thyme
170 g (1/2 cup) clover honey
1 head garlic, halved through the equator
36 g (1/4 cup) black peppercorns
280 g (2 cups) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
7.5 l (2 gallons) water
Peanut or canola oil for deep-frying
950 g (1 quart) buttermilk
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
720 g ( 6 cups) all-purpose flour
20 g (1/4 cup) garlic powder
20 g (1/4 cup) onion powder
10 g (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) paprika
10 g (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) cayenne
20 g (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) kosher salt
2 g (1 teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper
Ground fleur de sel or fine sea salt
Rosemary and thyme sprigs for garnish