Buttermilk Fried Chicken

This Buttermilk Fried hen recipe is crispy and flavorful on the outside, and juicy and gentle at the inside!

Now – I recognise that a without a doubt proper Southern fried bird recipe is really worth its weight in gold – and to this present day, I’m so thankful that Welton taught this New Englander the way to make it the ‘right’ way.

INGREDIENTS

• 3-4 pounds whole chicken or chicken pieces
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 6 whole black peppercorns
• 2 large sprigs fresh rosemary
• 8 small sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 more cups of buttermilk
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 3 or more cups lard 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Reduce fowl into 10 pieces (2 wings, 2 thighs, 2 legs and two breast halves cut in half of once more) and area in a gallon zip lock bag.
2. In a bowl blend two cups of buttermilk with water, salt, sugar, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, peppercorns, rosemary and thyme.
3. Pour marinade over chook. Press out air and refrigerate overnight for at least 12 hours and so long as 24 hours.
4. the following day discard marinade and rinse bird pieces beneath bloodless water.
5. location chicken pieces on a rack that sits over a sheet pan and permit sit down at room temperature for one hour.
6. area  cups of buttermilk in a medium bowl.
7. In a separate medium bowl, location flour, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. Whisk to mix.
8. location a forged iron skillet in your burner and upload sufficient lard to return half of way up the aspect of the pan. heat to 340 tiers F. Use a candy thermometer or different approach to preserve that temperature and in no way move any better.
9. turn oven directly to heat and vicinity a rack over a sheet tray and set apart.
10. cook dinner four breast portions first through placing in butter milk, then flour, then back in buttermilk then again into flour aggregate. on this 2d pass, actually push the flour into the chicken so it has clumps of flour. this could provide a nice crispy crust.
11. Use tongs and vicinity the chicken breasts pores and skin facet down one by one into the new fats. every piece will froth up the fats, so be cautious that it doesn’t froth over. adding one piece at a time and ready a few seconds for the froth to die down before including the next one will avoid any troubles.
12. cook dinner the breasts for about 4 minutes then take a look at color of bottom the use of tongs. If first-class and golden, flip with tongs and maintain cooking for approximately 12-sixteen minutes general. I became mine a few extra times to get a fair brownness.  they are accomplished whilst the internal temperature is a hundred sixty five ranges F. Use a probe thermometer.
13. cast off these to the pan with the rack and area inside the oven to keep warm at the same time as you cook the ultimate fowl.
14. once the fats is returned as much as 340 stages F, double bread the last pieces as before and start by setting the thighs in, skin facet down. Then add legs pores and skin aspect down, then subsequently the wings.
15. As earlier than, wait approximately four-5 minutes, check colour and turn to prepare dinner each sides.
16. The wings might be achieved first, then the legs and thighs. Use tongs to move each to the rack in the oven. The same inner temperature rule of 165 levels applies, but the cooking time might be less by using 2-4 mins typical.
17. I don’t salt after they come out of the fat because I suppose they may be seasoned efficaciously and do now not want additional salt.