ROSEMARY-BRINED, BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

ROSEMARY-BRINED, BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN image

Yield 6-8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

Brine:
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat side of a knife
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons kosher salt
5 or 6 branches rosemary, each 4 to 5 inches long
4 1/2 cups water
1 lemon, halved
Fried Chicken:
8 chicken legs, drumsticks and thighs separated
8 chicken wings, wing tips removed
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons fine sea salt
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 cups buttermilk
Neutral, high-heat oil for deep-frying (like canola)

Steps:

BRINE: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté onion and garlic in oil until translucent, 3 to 4 min. Add kosher salt after onion and garlic have cooked for 30 seconds or so. Add rosemary and cook to heat it, 30 seconds or so. Add water and lemon, squeezing juice into the water and removing any seeds. Bring water to a simmer, stirring to dissolve salt. Remove from heat and allow brine to cool. Refrigerate until chilled. To speed this process up, chill over an ice bath, stirring. Place chicken pieces in a large, sturdy plastic bag. Set the bag in a large bowl for support. Pour the cooled brine and aromatics into bag. Seal the bag so you remove as much air as possible and chicken is submerged in brine. Refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours, agitating bag occasionally to redistribute brine and chicken. Remove chicken from brine, rinse under cold water, pat dry, and set on rack or paper towels. Combine flour, black pepper, paprika, sea salt, cayenne, and baking powder in a bowl. Whisk to distribute the ingredients. Divide this mixture between two bowls. Pour buttermilk into a third bowl. Set a rack on a baking sheet/tray. Dredge chicken in the flour, shake off excess, and set dusted pieces on the rack. Dip pieces in buttermilk, then dredge them aggressively in second bowl of flour and return them to the rack. Heat oil in a pan for deep-frying to 350°F/180°C. Add as many chicken pieces as you can without crowding the pan. Cook the chicken, turning the pieces occasionally, until they are cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes depending on their size. Remove to a clean rack and allow them to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. For legs, thighs and wings, Ruhlman says, "I like to finish them in a 250F oven, to make sure they're super tender and to further crisp them.