Ingredients
- Chicken Brine:
- 9 cups brown chicken stock
- 1 cup pickle juice
- 2 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 orange, quartered
- 1/2 head garlic, split
- 1/2 bunch fresh thyme
- 2 whole chickens, cut into 10 even pieces
- Chicken Spice:
- 2 tablespoons seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay
- 4 teaspoons paprika
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground celery seeds
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Chicken Dredge:
- 1 quart all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons chicken spice, recipe above
- Canola oil, for frying
Preparation
Step 1
For the brine: Combine the stock, brine, salt, seeds, bay leaf, oranges, garlic and thyme in a large pot and bring up to a high simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and cool the liquid to 40 degrees F and reserve until time to brine the chicken.
Add the chicken to the brine, place in the fridge and brine for 12 hours.
For the dredge: Combine the flour, cornmeal, cornstarch and Chicken Spice evenly in a large mixing bowl.
Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour mixture and allow a minimum of 30 minutes for the flour to adhere. Re-dredge just before frying.
Heat 3 inches canola oil in a deep pot or a deep-fryer over high heat to 350 degrees F. A rule of thumb: If you drop a pinch of flour into the oil and it fries up immediately, you're good to go. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and get ready a baking sheet with a rack.
Take the chicken out of the dredge, shake off excess flour and fry in batches until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the rack and sprinkle some of the chicken spice over the fried chicken pieces. Hold in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.