Ingredients
- Ingredients
- 1 gallon cold water
- 1 cup plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
- 12 bay leaves
- 1 head of garlic, smashed but not peeled
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 3 large rosemary sprigs
- 1 small bunch of thyme
- 1 small bunch of parsley
- Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
- Two 3-pound chickens
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup garlic powder
- 1/4 cup onion powder
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 4 cups buttermilk
- peanut, or canola oil, for frying
- Rosemary and thyme sprigs, for garn
Preparation
Step 1
Directions
1.In a very large pot, combine 1 quart of the water with 1 cup of the salt and the honey, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and parsley. Add the lemon zest and juice and the lemon halves and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Let cool completely, then stir in the remaining 3 quarts of cold water. Add the chickens, being sure they're completely submerged, and refrigerate overnight.
2.Drain the chickens and pat dry. Scrape off any herbs or peppercorns stuck to the skin and cut each bird into 8 pieces, keeping the breast meat on the bone.
3.In a large bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt. divide flour mix in two bowls. Put the buttermilk in a large, shallow bowl. Working with a few pieces at a time, dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the flour mixture, then 2nd bowl of flour, pressing so it adheres all over. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet lined with parchement paper paper.
4.In a very large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of peanut oil to 320° for dark meat 11-12 minutes, and 340 for white 7 minutes. Fry the chicken in 2 or 3 batches over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and crunchy and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of each piece registers 160° . Transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain, and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the remaining chicken pieces. Rest 10 minutes Transfer the fried chicken to a platter, garnish with the herb sprigs and serve hot or at room temperature.