Bourbon Brined Fried Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Whisk together 2 cups of the yogurt and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the milk, 1 teaspoon of the chile de arbol, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl until combined. Add the chicken and toss to coat evenly in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade and rinse under cold water to remove the marinade. Pat dry on paper towels. Combine 2 teaspoons kosher salt, the remaining 1 teaspoon chile de arbol and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Put the chicken pieces on a large baking sheet and brush on both sides with canola oil. Season on both sides with the salt mixture and bake until lightly golden brown and the internal temperature registers 145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 25 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.
• Whisk together the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a large baking dish until combined. Whisk together the remaining 2 cups of yogurt and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of milk in a medium bowl. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and pinch of black pepper. Working in batches, dip the chicken pieces in the yogurt mixture, then dredge in the flour mixture, tapping off excess flour.
• Heat 2 inches of canola oil in a large cast iron pan over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Fry the chicken in batches until golden brown on both sides and just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove to a baking rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Place a Buttermilk Waffle on a plate, spread with the Tangerine Pink Peppercorn Butter, top with some fried chicken and drizzle with the Sorghum-Bourbon-Tangerine Syrup. Garnish with the Blackberry-Pomegranate Relish.
• Preheat a waffle iron. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F to keep the waffles warm, if desired. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the egg yolks with the buttermilk and butter in another medium bowl.
• Beat the egg whites until they just hold a 2-inch peak.
• Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients in a thin steady stream while gently mixing with a rubber spatula; be careful not to add the liquid faster than you can incorporate it. Towards the end of mixing, use a folding motion to incorporate the ingredients; gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
• Spread the appropriate amount of batter onto the waffle iron. Following the manufacturer¿s instructions, cook the waffles until golden brown, 2 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven.
• Prepare an ice bath. Combine the tangerine juice and bourbon in a small saucepan, bring to a boil and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup. Transfer to a small bowl, place the bowl inside the ice bath and stir until cold.
• Put the butter in a medium bowl, add the tangerine juice mixture, honey, peppercorns and salt and stir until combined.
• Combine the sorghum syrup and tangerine zest and juice in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Serve warm.
• Combine the blackberries, pomegranate seeds and mint in a bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Steps:

• For the brine: In a large bowl, combine the bourbon, brown sugar, bay leaves, peppercorns and 1/4 cup salt. Stir to combine. Pour in 4 cups warm water from the tap and stir until the brown sugar dissolves.
• Put chicken in a 1-gallon resealable freezer bag and pour in the brine. The chicken should be completely submerged. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
• Pour off the brine and place the chicken on a cooling rack. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper before dredging.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the breading: You will need three medium bowls for the breading. In one bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. In a second bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg and mustard. In a third bowl, combine the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour and 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, along with the cornmeal, garlic powder, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper.
• Follow a basic three step breading process: Dip each chicken breast in the flour (dusting off any excess), then in the buttermilk mixture, and finally in the cornmeal mixture. Dust off any excess before laying each chicken breast on a cooling rack. Allow the chicken to sit out uncovered for 30 minutes. This will make for a crunchier crust.
• Set a cooling rack in a rimmed baking sheet. In a 14-inch cast-iron skillet, combine the canola and coconut oils and heat over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 345 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, place the chicken in the skillet bone-side up. The oil should only come halfway up the side of the chicken. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, 5 to 7 minutes more. If needed, cook on the thicker side of the chicken breast for another minute to crisp the crust. Transfer to the rack as done.
• Wipe up any oil drips from the baking sheet so they don't smoke up your kitchen. Transfer the chicken on the rack and baking sheet to the oven and bake until cooked through and the center registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest and carry over cooking another 5 degrees F before serving, about 5 minutes.

Steps:

• To make the brine: in a large nonreactive bowl combine the bourbon, salt, brown sugar, lemon slices, garlic, peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and 4 cups water; whisk until salt and brown sugar dissolve.
• Trim any sinews or excess fat off the breasts; rinse breasts under cold running water, then drain.
• Place the chicken breasts in a large zip-lock plastic bag; add in the brine.
• Let breasts brine in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, turning breasts twice so they brine evenly.
• Set up grill for direct grilling and preheat to high-if using a gas grill, place all the wood chips in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and run grill on high until you see smoke; if using a charcoal grill, preheat it to high, then toss all of the wood chips on the coals.
• When ready to grill, drain the brine off the chicken and blot the breasts dry with paper towels; discard brine.
• Lightly brush both sides of the breasts with the melted butter; brush and oil the grill grate, then arrange chicken breasts on the hot grate, placing them on a diagonal to the bars.
• Grill the breasts for 2 minutes, then rotate them a quarter turn to create an attractive crosshatch of grill marks.
• Continue grilling the breasts on that side for 2 minutes longer.
• Turn breasts over and grill until cooked through, 4-6 minutes longer, again rotating them after 2 minutes to create grill marks.
• **The total cooking time will be 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the breasts.
• Test for doneness-poke a breast in the thickest part with your finger; it should feel firm to the touch; or to be safe, you can insert a thermometer in one end-170° is done.
• Transfer grilled breasts to a platter and serve at once with your favorite barbecue sauce.

Steps:

• Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a small bowl combine the ginger, soy sauce, onion flakes, sugar, bourbon and garlic powder. Mix together and pour mixture over chicken. Cover dish and place in refrigerator. Marinate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Remove dish from refrigerator and remove cover. Bake in the preheated oven, basting frequently, for 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is well browned and juices run clear.