Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Brine

• chicken drumsticks600 g
• buttermilk600 ml
• salt2 tbsp
• hot sauce2 tbsp
• garlic cloves4
• chicken thighs600 g

Dredge

• plain flour300 g
• cornflour50 g
• smoked paprika2 tsp
• garlic powder2 tsp
• onion powder1 tsp
• cayenne pepper1 tsp
• black pepper2 tsp
• salt2½ tsp
• sunflower oil2 l

Brine

1. 01

   Crush the garlic and mix it with the buttermilk, the salt and the hot sauce, then submerge the bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. The salt seasons right through and the acid tenderises.

Dredge

2. 02

   Mix the flour, cornflour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper and 2 teaspoons of the salt in a wide bowl. Spoon in 3 tablespoons of the buttermilk marinade and rub it through the flour with your fingers until it forms small clumps — those clumps become the craggy bits.

3. 03

   Lift each piece of chicken straight from the marinade, letting the excess drip, and press it firmly into the flour. Turn it twice and press again.

4. 04

   Rest the coated pieces on a rack for 15 minutes so the crust hydrates and grips.

5. 05

   Heat the sunflower oil to 165°C in a large, deep, heavy pan no more than a third full, or in a deep-fat fryer. Fry the chicken in batches so the oil stays at 165°C, for 14 to 18 minutes depending on size, turning once, until deep golden and cooked to 75°C at the bone.

6. 06

   Drain on a rack, never on paper, and sprinkle with the rest of the salt immediately.