French Laundry's Lemon Brined Fried Chicken
- Ready In:
- 25hrs 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 19
- Serves:
-
8
ingredients
- 1 gallon cold water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1⁄3 cup honey
- 12 bay leaves
- 1 head garlic, smashed but not peeled
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 3 large rosemary sprigs
- fresh thyme, 1 small bunch
- fresh parsley, 1 small bunch
- 2 lemons, use finely grated zest and juice of both
- 2 whole chickens, 3 pounds each
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 cups buttermilk
- vegetable oil, for frying
- rosemary and fresh thyme sprig, for garnish
directions
- 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 instant-read 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.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Raquel Grinnell
Crownsville, Maryland
I am a married cruise-only travel agent with two stepsons, aged 20 and 25. It took a while to get the boys used to my cooking, as they were raised on fast food and pre-packaged foods (i.e. mac-n-cheese from the blue box, frozen dinners, Chef Boyardee, McDonalds, etc.). My mother is from Spain and I lived there as well as Germany, England and Italy growing up, which influenced both my career and my cuisine!</p>
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