Buttermilk Brined Southern Fried Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• For the brine: Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely before using.
• Rinse the chickens and place the chickens in the cold brine and refrigerate overnight or for up to 12 hours. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat the chicken dry, removing any herbs or spices sticking to the skin.
• Bring the peanut oil to 340 degrees F. in a 6 quart saute pan.
• Mix the coating ingredients together in a bowl and place the buttermilk in a second container. Just before frying, dip each piece of chicken into the coating, patting off the excess, then into the buttermilk and back into the coating. Place the chicken on a parchment lined sheet tray.
• When the oil has reached the proper temperature, carefully lower the pieces of dark meat into the oil. The temperature of the oil will decrease. Adjust the heat as necessary to bring the oil to proper temperature. Fry the dark meat for about 13 minutes, to a deep golden brown, cooked throughout and very crisp. Remove the chicken to a tray lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
• Carefully add the white meat to the oil and fry for 6 to 7 minutes until cooked.
• Remove to the tray, sprinkle with salt and turn off the heat under the oil. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes to cool slightly. It is very hot when it comes out of the oil.

Steps:

• Wash chicken pieces thoroughly and pat dry.
• Place chicken in a long, shallow glass baking dish.
• Pour the buttermilk over the chicken, cover and refrigerate for a least 4 hours, turning once or twice. In a clean plastic or brown paper bag, combine the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and if desired the garlic and onion powders.
• Drain the chicken and place two or three pieces of chicken in the bag and shake well to coat evenly.
• Repeat until all chicken has been coated with seasoned flour mixture. In a large, heavy skillet, heat about one-half of oil over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking.
• Add chicken (in batches if necessary) and brown on all sides, about three minutes per side. Place browned chicken on a warm platter until all pieces are cooked.
• When all the chicken pieces are browned, crowd them into the skillet, turn heat to medium-low, cover and cook, turning occasionally, until tender, about 35-40 minutes.
• Remove cover, turn heat to medium-high and cook six to eight minutes more or until skin is crispy.
• Serve at once. Serves 4.

Steps:

• Whisk together buttermilk, mustard, salt and pepper, and cayenne in a bowl, and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 8 hours.
• When you are ready to cook the chicken, combine the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and onion powder in the other plastic bag. Shake to mix thoroughly. Transfer one marinated chicken piece at a time into the dry ingredient bag, and shake well to ensure complete coverage. After all chicken pieces are coated, repeat the process by dipping them in the buttermilk marinade and shaking in the dry coating again.
• Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, making sure not to burn the oil. When oil is hot, fry chicken in batches until golden brown and juices run clear, turning chicken to brown evenly.

Steps:

• For the brine: Combine all the ingredients for the brine except buttermilk in a small pot and heat over medium, dissolving all the salt and honey.
• Remove from heat and cool by adding ice cubes and stirring.
• In a large mixing bowl combine buttermilk and cooled seasoned water. Rinse chicken and pat dry.
• Divide all pieces of chicken between two large ziplock bags.
• Pour half of buttermilk brine in each, close, and place in the refrigerator over night, up to 12 hours.
• 1-2 hours before you are ready to fry: Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry.
• Let the chicken come to room temperature, half an hour to one and a half hours, on a parchment lined baking sheet covered with paper towels.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix all of the ingredients for the coating together in a large bowl, transferring half to a second bowl.
• Fill a third bowl with the 2 cups of buttermilk.
• The easiest way to coat the chicken is to have a line set up: uncoated chicken, flour coating, buttermilk, 2nd bowl of flour coating, wax paper lined baking sheet for the coated chicken.
• Pour the oil into your pot.
• It should come at least two inches and no more than 1/3 of the way up the side of the pot.
• Turn the heat to low, clipping a frying/candy thermometer to the side of your pot.
• Dredge each piece in the coating, dust off all excess, dip into the buttermilk, and then into the second bowl of coating, letting the 2nd coating be clumpier but still patting to get rid of excess that might fall off in the oil.
• Place coated chicken on the wax paper lined tray.
• Turn the oil up to high and let it come to about 350°F.
• Let the coated chicken sit so that the coating will thicken while the oil gets hot.
• When it reaches temperature, very carefully place 4 pieces of chicken at a time in the hot oil and fry, adjusting the temperature as needed to maintain a frying temperature between 310° -325°F.
• I try to keep it around 320°.
• You start the oil at 350° because when you add the chicken to the hot oil, the temperature will drop.
• Fry dark meat first, as it takes longer.
• Fry the chicken for about 13-20 minutes, moving the chicken gently (you don't want to knock the coating off!) after the first five to prevent sticking and burning on the bottom.
• Be careful to monitor your chicken, watching the oil temperature closely and not letting the chicken get too dark.
• Remove chicken from the oil with a spider or slotted metal spoon when it is golden brown (metal tongs will knock off your precious coating), and place it on a cooling rack over a paper towel lined baking sheet.
• Sprinkle with kosher salt.
• Check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer.
• Fully cooked chicken will read 160 degrees and can be served then if desired.
• If it is lower than that, it must be finished in the oven.
• Fry the second batch and then place it on the rack.
• Place the rack in the oven for ten minutes.
• Check the internal temperature to make sure the chicken is cooked through, let rest 10 minutes, and serve hot.
• If all the chicken is cooked through and you want to keep it hot, you can hold it in a 250 degree oven.

Steps:

• Pour 1/2 cup of the buttermilk into a shallow dish just large enough to hold the chicken.
• Use your hand to flatten the chicken to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch.
• Dip the chicken in the buttermilk, turning to coat completely.
• In another shallow dish, combine the cornmeal, 1/4 cup of the flour, the pepper and salt.
• Dredge the chicken in the cornmeal patting the the mixture to coat the chicken all over.
• In a large frypan, heat the oil.
• Fry the chicken over medium high heat, turning once, until it is cooked through and the coating is dark golden brown, about 8 minutes total.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate.
• Stir the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour into the pan drippings and cook, stirring constantly until the flour paste takes on a golden colour, about 2 minutes.
• Whisk in the broth and remaining 1/2 cup of buttermilk.
• Cook, stirring up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the gravy is bubbly.
• Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
• Season with hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper.
• Serve the chicken with the gravy ladled over it.

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine gizzards and onions. Pour over enough buttermilk to cover. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours (24 is better), or up to 2 days.
• Drain gizzards in a colander, allowing any excess buttermilk to drip away. Cut gizzards into 1/2" chunks, working around any gristle or tendons.
• Combine flour with salt, cayenne and seasoning. Beat egg in a small bowl.
• In a pot or deep skillet, heat 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of vegetable oil to 350°F Dip each piece of gizzard in egg, then in flour. Be sure to coat them well or the coating will not be crisp.
• Place coated gizzard pieces into oil and cook 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Drain on a rack. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Combine 3 cups of buttermilk, salt, and sugar in a large resealable plastic bag.
• Add all chicken pieces to the brine; seal bag. Chill overnight.
• Drain chicken; pat dry with paper towels. Discard brine.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, and 1/4 teaspoons each of salt and pepper. Place 3/4 cup buttermilk in a shallow dish. Coat chicken with flour mixture, dip in buttermilk; coat again with flour mixture.
• Meanwhile, heat peanut oil in large skillet or Dutch oven to depth of 1 1/2 inches and 350 degrees.
• Using tongs, carefully add a few pieces of chicken at a time to skillet. Maintain oil temperature at 325 degrees. Fry chicken for 12-15 minutes or until no longer pink, and coating is golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Keep fried chicken warm in a 300 degree oven while frying remaining pieces.