Sweet Tea and Lemon Brined Fried Chicken

I have made fried chicken exactly once in my life and this is the recipe. I did a lot of research on fried chicken before I ventured in this direction...learning about all of the fun southern traditions. I figured that if I was going to finally take the fried chicken plunge that I would do it well. So here goes....Let me know if you enjoy the flavor. The sweet tea, thyme, garlic, and lemon brine do the trick!

• Ready In: 48 hrs 10 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 3 -4  lbs chicken, a mixture of thighs and drumsticks, rinsed and patted dry
• 16  cups tea, sweetened with brown sugar and cooled
• 2  tablespoons kosher salt
• 1⁄4 cup thyme, ok I have to put a measurement in here but its really just a small handful that I pluck from my gard
• 4  lemons, quartered
• 1  head garlic, chopped into four big pieces, no need to remove skin
• 2  cups buttermilk
• 1  egg
• 1  tablespoon honey
• 1  cup flour
• 1  cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1  tablespoon baking powder
• 1  tablespoon kosher salt
• 2  teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
• 1  teaspoon chili powder, preferably a chipotle powder but any will do

Directions

1. Mix tea, salt, thyme, lemons, and garlic together in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Add Chicken and seal. Place bag into a container in the fridge to protect from spoilage. You can also place in a big cooler filled with ice - this is what I do to brine my turkeys.
2. Allow the chicken to marinate in the brine mixture for 24-48 hours, no longer than 48 hours.
3. Remove chicken and discard the bag and the brining mixture.
4. Whisk together buttermilk, egg, and honey. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place in a shallow bowl -- I often like to use a pie plate, because I have several and barely ever use them :).
5. Mix together flour, panko bread crumbs, chili powder, baking powder, and the additional salt and pepper in a second shallow bowl.
6. Using one hand for wet and another hand for dry, dip each piece of chicken in the wet mixture on both sides. Then coat each side of the chicken piece in the dry mixture. Coat well and shake off any excess. Repeat this process for each piece of chicken.
7. I then like to repeat the process for what I call a "DOUBLE DIP". You may need to add an additional wet and dry recipe to the bowls. All you do is re-dip each piece of chicken in the wet and dry mixtures to add an extra kiss of love and tenderness to that chicken crust :).
8. Deep fry chicken in Vegetable Oil (or shortening if you prefer) until golden brown and chicken is the desired doneness (or about 165 to 175 degrees internally). This should take about 9-10 minutes at 350 degrees.
9. If you don't want to break out the fryer or stink up your kitchen, you can also bake the chicken on a pan sprayed with non-stick spray. I have not tried this yet, but I am sure it will work with the appropriate patience.
10. When I made this chicken recipe, I served with a Seafood boil and a selection of hot sauces, bbq sauces, honey, butter, etc. Serve how you wish and enjoy!