SOUL PATROL BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

Soul Patrol Buttermilk Fried Chicken image

Yield Serves 8 to 10

Number Of Ingredients 11

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2 quarts buttermilk
5 cups water
1 cup kosher salt
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon pepper
3 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary, plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
5 pounds chicken legs and thighs
Lard or canola oil, for frying
3 cups flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
Sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

Steps:

Combine the buttermilk, water, salt, sugar, lemon pepper, rosemary, and sage in a large nonreactive bowl or container with a lid. Add the chicken to the brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, and preferably for 48.
When ready to cook the chicken, pull the pieces, one at a time, from the brine and slide your thumb between the meat and the bone, gently separating the flesh a bit from the bone where you can. This ensures the chicken will cook through to the bone. Return the chicken to the brine until the lard is ready.
Heat the lard in a deep fryer to 350°F.
Spread the seasoned flour in a shallow dish. Pull the chicken from the brine, one piece at a time, coat with the seasoned flour, and carefully drop into the oil. Fry for 12 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Taste, and if more seasoning is desired, combine equal amounts of the rosemary and salt and sprinkle on the chicken.