Batter Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is comfort food in my house, no way around it. The trick here is the brine, that quick soak in salt and sugar water is what keeps everything juicy on the inside before it ever hits the oil.

I like frying up a whole cut up chicken so there’s a little something for everyone, but use the pieces you like best. Make it once and you’ll see why I keep coming back to it.

Batter Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Brine:

•  1 quart (4 cups) cold water

•  1/4 cup kosher salt

•  1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 whole chicken cut into individual pieces OR use what you prefer (thighs, wings, breasts, etc.)

For the Fried Chicken Batter:

• 1 cup AP flour

• 1 cup cornstarch

• 2 ½ tsp baking powder

• S + P to taste

• Smoked paprika

• Cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 cube pork bouillon, crushed

• 2 ½ tsp baking powder

• 1 3/4 cups filtered cold water

• Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions:

1. To make the brine. In a large bowl, stir together the water, salt and sugar until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add the chicken and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

2. While the chicken is brining, in a large bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the batter--Cover and refrigerate the batter while the chicken is brining.

3. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or other deep-sided pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (176°C). Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Remove the chicken from the brine and whisk the batter to recombine. If the batter seems too thick, add some water, no more than 1 tablespoon at a time, until the batter becomes the consistency of pancake batter. Place half the chicken pieces in the batter and turn to coat. Remove the chicken from the batter, allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl, and carefully place it in the oil. Cook the fried chicken until deep golden brown and the white meat registers 160°F (71°C) or 175°F (79°C) for dark meat, 12 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces and the temperature of your oil. Place the fried chicken on the wire rack to drain. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

4. . Serve the fried chicken hot, warm, at room temperature, even cold if there are any leftovers.