Fried Chicken
(courtesy of Alex Downing, chef de cuisine, The Club at Rancharrah in Reno. Serves 4)
For this recipe, you’ll marinate the chicken for several hours (or overnight) before dredging and deep-frying chicken.
For marinade
4 each of chicken legs, thighs, and drumsticks, separated
2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon Louisiana hot sauce
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
1 tablespoons ground black pepper
Combine all marinade ingredients, and toss chicken to coat. Optionally, transfer to zip-lock bag, squeezing out all excess air and allowing chicken to marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking. Do not discard marinade (it will be used for fried chicken).
For chicken coating
4 cups cake flour
1 cup potato starch
2 tablespoons baking powder
4 tablespoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
4 tablespoons ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl, and set aside.
To make fried chicken
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
Drizzle a small amount of the buttermilk marinade over the dry mixture, and, using your fingers or a whisk, mix until tiny clumps distribute throughout mixture. Drain chicken well, and, working in batches, roll each piece in the coating mix to cover evenly. Once finished, bury dredged chicken in remaining dredge mixture, and allow to sit while deep fryer comes up to temperature, 300 degrees F. Once fryer is heated, working in batches (do not overcrowd!), shake off excess coating and carefully lower into hot oil. Fry until a thermometer in the deepest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F (about 12 to 15 minutes). When one batch is finished, transfer to a sheet pan lined with a rack, and keep warm in oven until remaining batch(es) are finished.
