Pickle Juice and Buttermilk Brined Fried Chicken
Pickle juice and buttermilk lend this fried chicken zippy tang while ensuring moist, tender meat. You can cut up a whole chicken (or ask the butcher to do it for you), or buy any combo of skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces you like.
Trendwatch: Pickle juice is trending big time, turning up in cocktails, sports drinks, popiscles and slushies. (Tip: Add splash of pickle juice to a dry martini.)
Pro Tip: Frying the chicken in a deep pot or Dutch oven helps contain splatters.
Pickle Juice and Buttermilk Brined Fried Chicken
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (16- oz) jar petite kosher dill pickles
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 1 large egg
- 10 skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces (drumsticks, wings, thighs, breast)
- Canola oil, for frying
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup cornmeal
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Flake sea salt (optional)
DIRECTIONS
- Drain 1 cup pickle juice from jar (reserve any remaining juice and pickles). Whisk together pickle juice, buttermilk, 1 tsp kosher salt, cayenne and egg. Pour into a large heavy-duty zip-top bag. Add chicken. Seal; turn bag to coat. Place in a dish. Refrigerate 4 hours and up to overnight, turning bag occasionally.
- Fill a large Dutch oven or pot with 2 inches oil. Heat oil to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- In a shallow baking dish, whisk together flour, cornmeal, remaining 1 tsp kosher salt and pepper. Working with one piece at a time, remove chicken from brine, shaking off excess. Dredge in flour mixture; add to hot oil. Fry 8-10 minutes or until golden and done, turning to cook evenly (fry chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan). Drain on paper towels; sprinkle with flake sea salt, if desired. Serve with pickles.
KITCHEN COUNTER
Serves 4-6.
