"Coca Cola Brined Fried Chicken"

By RoketJSquerl

Ingredients

• Brining Chicken:
• 12 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
• 4 cups Coca-Cola
• 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
• 3 tbsp coarse salt
• 3 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• Batter:
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup peanut oil
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp coarse salt
• 4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Frying Chicken:
• peanut oil and lard
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pickle-Garlic Relish:
• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup dill-pickle chips, plus a little pickle juice if desired
• 3 tbsp minced garlic

Details

Adapted from foxnews.com

Preparation

Step 1

• TO BRINE THE CHICKEN: Rinse the chicken, drain, and set aside.
Combine all the remaining brining ingredients in a large bowl,
stirring until the salt dissolves. Put the chicken in the brine,
cover, and marinate, refrigerated, for 4 hours.
• TO MAKE THE BATTER: Whisk the egg well in a stainless steel bowl
and add the peanut oil and 2 1/2 cups water. In a separate bowl, com-
bine all the remaining batter ingredients, then add the dry mixture
to the egg mixture, whisking slowly so the batter doesn’t clump.
• TO FRY THE CHICKEN: Fill a large cast-iron skillet halfway with
equal amounts of peanut oil and lard. Slowly bring the temper-
ature to 375°F. (Use a deep-fat thermometer.)
• While the oil is heating, remove the chicken from the brine and
place in a colander in the sink. Once the chicken has drained, pat
it dry with paper towels (a critical step) and season with salt and
pepper. Dip the chicken in the batter and place it (carefully) in
the hot oil. Adjust the heat, as the chicken will bring the oil tem-
perature down dramatically—you want it back up to just above
350°F. Turn the chicken regularly using tongs to prevent burn-
ing. After 8 or 9 minutes, remove a piece, prick it to the bone with
a fork, and mash it. If the juices run clear, it’s done. Continue
cooking if necessary.
• TO MAKE THE PICKLE-GARLIC RELISH: Finely chop and com-
bine all the relish ingredients.
• Serve with the chicken. Cover any leftovers with a dish towel and
leave out at room temperature (or in the fridge, if you must, al-
though my grandmother never did). This keeps it crisp.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.