Fried chicken, it’s all the rage. It’s popping up so many different places and people are putting their own spin on it. The fried chicken revolution began for me when I ate the dish prepared at Resurrection Ale House a couple of years ago. I remember it being a Sunday evening and I sat down and I was torn between two entrees. I asked the waiter and he said “seriously man, have the chicken.” Definitely changed my life. I never knew fried chicken could taste so good. The drizzle of honey really put it over the top and solidified it in my mind.
2011 was sort of fried chicken year for me. After bringing folks to Resurrection, I got to see and taste the opening of Federal Donuts an establishment by Michael Solomonov that focuses exclusively on gourmet donuts, gourmet fried chicken and great coffee. The buzz and line were outrageous. The product certainly delivered.
I also got to taste the fried chicken at Meme, one of my favorite spots in Philadelphia. Chef Katz’s preparation was simple but wowed on flavor and presentation.
At the beginning of 2012, I hosted a Winter Classic Potluck. One of our foodie friends Shao brought some lemon brined fried chicken to the party. She had the Thomas Keller Ad Hoc Cookbook and said that’s where she got it from. Needless to say, people were elbowing each other just to get some of it. I ate it for 3 days afterward, for breakfast naturally.
I found the recipe online and I’m reprinting it here. It’s so good and so easy that it’s impossible not to try making at home at least once.
Pro-Tip: Use a 6 quart (at least) pot and fill it about half full (or a bit more). I fried 3 pieces of chicken at a time and was able to maintain fry temp just fine.
Thomas Keller's recipe for Lemon Brined Fried Chicken. It's just amazing.
Ingredients
- 1 gallon cold water
- 1 cup plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
- 12 bay leaves
- 1 head of garlic, smashed but not peeled
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 3 large rosemary sprigs
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 cups buttermilk
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Rosemary and thyme sprigs, for garnish
- 1 small bunch of thyme
- 1 small bunch of parsley
- Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
- Two 3-pound chickens
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a very large pot, combine 1 quart of the water with 1 cup of the salt and the honey, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and parsley. Add the lemon zest and juice and the lemon halves and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring until the salt is dissolved.
- Let cool completely, then stir in the remaining 3 quarts of cold water. Add the chickens, being sure they're completely submerged, and refrigerate overnight.
- Drain the chickens and pat dry. Scrape off any herbs or peppercorns stuck to the skin and cut each bird into 8 pieces, keeping the breast meat on the bone.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt.
- Put the buttermilk in a large, shallow bowl. Working with a few pieces at a time, dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the flour mixture, pressing so it adheres all over. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
- In a very large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 330°. Fry the chicken in 2 or 3 batches over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and crunchy and an instantread thermometer inserted in the thickest part of each piece registers 160°, about 20 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain, and keep warm in a low oven while you fry
- the remaining chicken pieces.
- Transfer the fried chicken to a platter, garnish with the herb sprigs and serve hot or at room temperature.
-
- All the ingredients
-
- Young, fresh and green
-
- Garlic
-
- Making brine
-
- Brine
-
- Dry mixture
-
- Cut up chicken
-
- Finished dish
-
- Yup
-
- Garnished
-
- Close up
-
- Wake up with lemon
