Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Recently one of my Twitter followers came to me for suggestions on dishes for a late-night brunch.  After going through different dishes that I've made, I decided that Chicken and Waffles would be a great choice.  Chicken and Waffles is a classic Southern dish and a great option for brunch since it successfully blends two dishes that are normally eaten during separate times of day, together.  As the title of this blog suggests, the stand out in this dish hands down is the chicken.

There is something very nostalgic about fried chicken from crackling of the grease as it fries to the crunch of perfectly crisp crust,  making it a comfort food classic.  The key to great fried chicken is the "brining" process.  The importance of brining is to lock in the moisture and enhance the natural flavors of the chicken.  There are two way to brine 1. using a salt and sugar water solution or 2. the use of buttermilk.  I happen to favor the buttermilk technique when it comes to frying.  As the chicken soaks in the buttermilk it forms a coating which helps to not only infuse the chicken with moisture but also ensure that the chicken will remain juicy.  If you've been looking for a way to spice up your fried chicken, try my recipe which is sure to please the palates of your brunch attendees.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 tsps. Sea Salt
• 2 tsps. Black Pepper
• 2 Tbsps. Granulated Garlic
• 2 Tbsps. Paprika
• 2 Tbsps. Nutmeg
• 2 Tbsps. Rosemary
• 2 Tbsps. Seasoning Salt
• 2 Tbsps. Thyme
• 1 Tbsp. Black Pepper
• 1 lb. Chicken Wings
• 4 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 qt. Buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups Vegetable Oil

Preparation

1. Rinse wings, pat dry
2. Season wings w/ 2 tsps. sea salt & 2 tsps. black pepper
3. Pour Buttermilk into large bowl, half seasonings (keep other half for later), add to Buttermilk, stir
4. Add wings to Buttermilk mixture, seal tightly, refrigerate 2hrs-overnight
5. Place flour in a shallow container, add remaining seasonings
1.  Quick Tip- For flaky crust, add 1-2 Tbsps. of water/Buttermilk to flour & mix lightly w/ fork.  This will create flakes on the crust during frying.
6. Preheat oil in skillet to 375 degrees.
7. Dredge wings in seasoned flour
8. Carefully place wings in oil. brown on each side 8-9 minutes or until desired crispness.  Remove from oil and let stand for 5 minutes.

*Makes 3 servings
*For waffles I follow the box recipe but if you want a little something extra, add a Tbsp. of Cinnamon to batter
*Syrup makes a great accompaniment to this dish.  Add 2 pats of butter, 1 tsp. of cinnamon, 1 tsp. of nutmeg, and heat.  This is a sure fire way to bring your syrup from okay to amazing!