Fried Chicken Masala

By anonsouthernbell

"Renee's secret for an amazingly crispy and crunchy crust, which is now mine (and yours), is to let the chicken rest in flour as the oil heats...I add spices to the brine and flour coating to give the chicken an extra hit of flavor."

Ingredients

• For the Buttermilk Brine:
• 3 c buttermilk
• 1/4 c kosher salt
• 2 tabl sugar
• 1 1/2 tea Garam Masala
• 1 tea ground coriander
• 1 tea ground peppercorns
• 1/2 tea ground ginger
• 1/2 tea paprika
• 1/4 tea cayenne pepper
• Recipe:
• 1 chicken (3 1/2 -4 pounds) cut into 8 serving pieces
• canola oil, for frying
• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 2 tea ground coriander
• 2 tea Garam Masala
• 2 tea ground peppercorns
• 1 tea turmeric
• 1/2 tea kosher salt
• 1/4 tea cayenne pepper

Preparation

Step 1

To make the brine, mix the buttermilk with all of the spices in a large bowl. Transfer to a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, turn to coat and refrigerate overnight.

Heat 1in of canola oil in a large heavy-bottomed high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 375F. In a shallow bowl, whisk the flour with the spices and add the chicken pieces. Turn to coat in the flour and let the chicken rest in the flour until the oil gets hot. Tap off the excess flour and add as many pieces of chicken to the skillet as you can. Fry until browned, 6-8 minutes. Turn the chicken over and fry until the chicken is deeply browned on the other side, about another 6-8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken pieces to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve while warm or at room temp.