FORD FRY'S FRIED CHICKEN & SEA ISLAND RED PEAS RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Ford Fry's Fried Chicken & Sea Island Red Peas Recipe - (4.4/5) image

Provided by ltrodrigu

Number Of Ingredients 34

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For the Seasoned Flour:
4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups corn starch
4 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Brine:
1 gallon water
1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of black peppercorns
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig rosemary
For the Chicken:
2 whole chickens (about 3-4 pounds)
1 pint buttermilk
2 cups peanut oil
Sea salt
For the Sea Island Red Peas:
1 pound dried red peas, soaked overnight and drained
2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups veal stock
1 carrot, diced
1 Vidalia onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
1 fresh bay leaf
Leaves from 2 sprigs thyme
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups kale, chopped

Steps:

To Make Seasoned Flour: In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Set aside. To Brine Chicken: In a large bowl, combine all brine ingredients and stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Add chickens to chilled brine, cover and refrigerate 24 hours. To Make Sea Island Red Peas: In a heavy pot over medium heat, simmer all ingredients except butter and kale until peas are tender, 1¼ hours. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in kale and cook until tender, 5 minutes more. Keep warm. To Make Fried Chicken: Remove brined chickens from refrigerator and cut each into 8 pieces. Pour buttermilk into a large bowl. Add chicken pieces to buttermilk, turning to coat. Next, place chicken in seasoned flour mixture, turning to coat. Fill a skillet with 1 inch peanut oil. Heat oil to 330 degrees, using a thermometer to monitor temperature. Cook dark meat first, patting off any excess flour and carefully laying into skillet. Cook 4 minutes, then add remaining chicken pieces. Cook until chicken is golden brown and has an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 8 minutes per side. Remove chicken and set aside on brown paper bags to drain off excess oil. Season with sea salt. Stir butter into warm peas and serve with chicken.