Fried chicken

By mdyess

Ingredients

• 1 (3 to 4 pound) chicken, cut up into 10 pieces
• Kosher salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons cayenne
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 quart buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons hot chili sauce (recommended: Srirachi)
• Peanut oil, for frying
• 1/4 bunch fresh thyme
• 3 big sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1/4 bunch fresh sage
• 1/2 head garlic, smashed, husk still attached
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Preparation

Step 1

Put the chicken pieces into a large bowl. Cover the chicken with water by 1 inch;
add 1 tablespoon of salt for each quart of water used. Cover and refrigerate at
least 2 hours or overnight.
In a large shallow platter, mix the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika,
and cayenne until well blended; season generously with salt and pepper. In
another platter combine the buttermilk and hot sauce with a fork and season
with salt and pepper.
Drain the chicken and pat it dry. Dredge the pieces, a few at a time, in the flour
mixture,
then dip them into the buttermilk; dredge them again in the seasoned flour. Set
aside and let the chicken rest while you prepare the oil.
Put about 3 inches of oil into a large deep pot; it should not come up more than
half way. Add the thyme, rosemary, sage, and garlic to the cool oil and heat
over medium-high heat until the oil registers 350 to 365 degrees F on one of
those clip-on deep-fry thermometers. The herbs and garlic will perfume the oil
with their flavor as the oil comes up to temperature.
Once the oil has reached 350 to 365 degrees F, working in batches, carefully
add the chicken pieces 3 or 4 at a time. Fry, turning the pieces once, until
golden brown and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Total cooking time should
be about 30 minutes. When the chicken is done, take a big skimmer and
remove the chicken pieces and herbs from the pot, shaking off as much oil as
you can, and lay it on a tea towel or brown paper bag to soak up the oil.
Sprinkle all over with more salt and a dusting of cracked black pepper. Repeat
with the remaining chicken pieces. Once all the chicken is fried, scatter the fried
herbs and garlic over the top. Serve hot, with big lemon wedges.