Fried Chicken (Best I Ever Made)

By NicoleS

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.